Breath of a New Day
by MissKatrinaLynne
Summary: A 'sequel' fic to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I had so much fun with my last BotW fic that I decided to continue it. This fic takes place after the events/end credits of Breath of the Wild and explores the rebirth of Hyrule, Zelda and Link's relationship, and more! Just because Calamity Ganon has been defeated doesn't mean Hyrule is out of the woods yet!
1. Prologue

It was done. Calamity Ganon was defeated by Link's blade and sealed away by Zelda's power. Zelda turned to Link, her eyes finally falling upon him for the first time in one hundred years. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she only wanted to touch his skin and prove to herself that he was truly alive. "Thank you, Link, the Hero of Hyrule. May I ask… Do you really remember me?"

Her breath caught in her throat as Link moved towards her. His hands, calloused and worn, felt warm and comforting on her cheeks. His lips pressed against hers and she let herself fall against him. His strong arms wrapped around her and he nestled his face against her neck. Zelda let the tears escape from their hold. It was all over. It was finally over.

"I promised you I'd come back for you," Link's soft voice said to her.

They stayed in their embrace until Zelda's breathing steadied and she worked up the strength to pull away for a moment. She cast her eyes upon Hyrule Castle, no longer enveloped by Ganon's dark power, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

"What… what do we do now?"

Link hesitated and followed her gaze onto the castle. Her question haunted him - now what? Ganon was gone, but there was certainly much left for them to do. And Link was far too tired to think about that. The only thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to be there, on the battlefield, a moment longer. And it was clear that Zelda didn't want to be, either, judging from the expression of defeat on her face.

"Let's get out of here," Link said simply, pulling at Zelda's wrist. He helped her get on his horse, then mounted behind her, taking the reins.

"And go where?" Zelda could feel the anxiety rising in her chest. Where could they possibly go? How much of Hyrule was destroyed? Did anyone truly remain?

Link kicked at the horse, directing her in the opposite direction. "Kakariko Village," he said as the horse broke into a canter across the field.

The village. It was still standing. "Impa? She's alive?"

Link laughed lightly. "That woman will never die," he muttered.

With this knowledge, and with Link's arms around her, Zelda was able to relax. She had been locked away for so long, keeping Ganon at bay, that she had no idea what their world had come to. She was thankful that it was not as bad as she feared.

They were quiet as they rode across Hyrule, neither of them quite sure what to say. It wasn't until they reached the road to the village that Link slowed his horse. The setting sun set the sky ablaze in colors of oranges and pinks that slowly darkened into twilight as they entered the village, yet every villager was outside, apparently awaiting their arrival.

Zelda looked on, speechless, as the villagers got to their knees, bowing to their saviors. She was certain that the survivors of Hyrule would all soon see that the darkness was eliminated and Hyrule Castle stood tall and free once more. This would be enough for them to know that she and Link succeeded in their duty to save the kingdom and Hyrule was at peace once more.

Impa, Paya, and Dorian stood outside as Link and Zelda approached. Dorian bowed his head to them, taking the reins from Link as he dismounted, then helped Zelda to the ground.

"You have done well, Princess," Impa said with a smile. "It's good to see you safe after all these years."

"Impa," Zelda started, but she could not find the words she wanted to say to express how happy she was to see her.

"You both must be exhausted," Impa said. "Let's not worry about anything more right now, hm? You should come in and get some rest." She turned and lead them inside.

"Impa."

Inside, Impa turned to face Zelda, offering her a kind smile. Zelda blinked back tears and hurried to the old woman, wrapping her arms around. She didn't think she would have anything left in this world, but she had Link and Impa, and that was more than she could ever ask for.

Despite Zelda's elation at their reunion, Impa insisted that they hold their celebrations for the morning. She sent the young heroes upstairs with a sternness in her tone but a smile on her face.

Link let his body fall onto the bed, his face buried into the pillow. He wasn't exactly comfortable, the weight of his sword and shield still on his back, but he was too tired to do anything about it. He turned his head over to face Zelda as she sat on the edge of the other bed. She was talking very softly, staring at the floor, but he could barely make out her words.

"I still can't believe it," she said. A small smile parted her lips. "You and Impa… I only wish… I only wish the others could be here to see this. Urbosa, Daruk…" When Link did not respond, she looked up, but he was already asleep.

Waking up, Link turned over, his eyes opening slowly. He waited for them to adjust to the lighting, but was surprised to see the room was dim. Out the window, he could barely see light from the sun - was it morning? Evening? Had he slept for another hundred years? He pushed himself up and looked around. He was alone in the room, and his sword and shield had been tossed onto the floor. He vaguely remembered waking up at some point and throwing them off of him. Impa would have had a fit if she had seen how carelessly he treated the legendary sword.

He lay back against the bed. He couldn't remember the last time he slept so much - or at all, for that matter. He felt like he hadn't slept since he awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection. He moved his eyes to the window; the sky was a gray blanket, but he did not hear the sound of raindrops on the roof. The room was quiet, but he could just barely hear faint voices from down the stairs as Impa and Zelda spoke.

"You're certain he has all his memories back?" Impa asked.

"Yes." Zelda was quick to respond. Link strained to listen, but it seemed their conversation had paused for a moment.

"All we can do is hope for the best." A new voice. Purah.

"I don't understand," Zelda said. "Isn't that what we want? For him to have his memories back?"

Another pause. Purah's familiar child voice continued. "Of course. In a perfect situation. But you must remember, Princess - we've asked a lot of him. Regaining those memories could not have been easy. The circumstances were far from ideal."

"War takes a toll on those involved," Impa said as if to back up Purah's statement. "Everything was pushed on him quite suddenly. It's not uncommon for those affected by war to be… affected in other ways, long after the war has ended."

"It would have been kinder to keep his memories from him," Purah said.

"You can't mean that." Link could hear the waver in Zelda's voice.

"What's done is done," Impa said. "You must try to understand, Zelda. Allow him to adjust as he needs to."

"He's fine," Zelda argued. "I know."

"I'll be keeping an eye on things," Purah said. Link imagined she was crossing her arms in the way she usually did. "Any changes must be noted so we can better use the shrine in the future."

"He's not some machine you can research," Zelda hissed.

Purah's voice was light; arrogant. "I've been researching him since he came out of that thing."

"Maybe you should work on getting your body back," Zelda sneered.

"And look like that? No thank you."

"It's a shame you stopped there," Impa said. "A few more years and we wouldn't have to hear you talk."

"Of course," Purah said. "Let me get you some prune juice, Granny."

"Grandmother!"

There was a loud thud. Link blinked up at the ceiling.

"You're a little rusty, there," Purah taunted.

Another thud.

"For the love of Hylia." This voice was Symin's.

"Put me down, Symin!"

"Yes, put her down for a nap, will ya?"

"You-!"

A door closed.

"Grandmother, why do you let Aunt Purah get to you like that?"

"Someone needs to keep her in line," Impa muttered.

Link turned over in the bed, his eyelids heavy, despite having slept through the night and what seemed to be most of the morning. He didn't want to be a part of that conversation, anyway.

The sun had broken through the clouds when Link awoke again, but this time, Zelda stood over him, her arms crossed and her brows knit together. He looked up at her, meeting her gaze for a moment, before turning his back to her with a light groan.

"Do you plan on sleeping all day?"

"For the next one hundred years," Link muttered.

Zelda made a dissatisfied sound. "I don't recall you being so lazy."

"I'm the hero of Hyrule," Link said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I think I deserve a day off."

"Well, just a day, then," Zelda said, moving away from him and towards the door. She looked back at him over her shoulder. A day off with Link - or two - sounded perfect.


	2. Chapter 1

Admittedly, Zelda was in no hurry to return to the castle and resume her duties to Hyrule, but that didn't stop her from enjoying what time she had left in Kakariko Village with Link. Though most of the time, it was impossible to find him. When he wasn't napping on top of a straw pile in the barn, he was impressing the children in the village with his archery skills, sharing an apple with the horses, or running from an angry chicken when he accidentally stepped on them.

When Zelda did catch a moment with him, however, he seemed to have resorted back to his old self, one hundred years ago, when they weren't as close. He hardly spoke a word to her and always seemed distant. She would try to distract him with conversation or a race through Hyrule Field, but that part of him seemed long gone. She considered what Impa had said to her - that he would be different. She tried to accept that and be understanding of the remorse he felt, but she couldn't help but to feel aggravated with him. He wasn't the only one suffering, and Zelda was doing everything she could to make things as normal as possible. Why couldn't he do that for her, too?

"You're hiding from me," she said. She had found him sitting on one of the cliffs outside of the village, overlooking Hyrule. She sat on the ground beside him and stretched out her legs. The first starlights of the evening made their appearance in the darkening sky, twinkling strong and bright.

Link said nothing for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "You're watching me."

Zelda blinked at him. "No I'm not," she said quickly.

"I don't know what you're waiting for," he said, leaning back against his hands, "but you're not gonna get it."

"I'm not waiting for anything," she said softly.

"Fine."

Zelda hesitated, unsure if she had upset him somehow. "Do you… want to talk about anything?"

"Like what?"

Zelda let a soft sigh escape her nose. She turned and looked out over Hyrule. "I don't know," she said with a small shrug. "Did I upset you?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you hardly talk to me. You're… different. Everything is different now." She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She let her chin rest on her knees. "I guess it was silly to think everything would be the way it was."

She looked up as Link got to his feet. She met his gaze as he offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.

"We've been sitting around for too long," he said with a soft smile. "That's the problem. We gotta get out and do something."

"Well, we've already saved Hyrule," she said. "What more can we do?"

"You're in charge," Link said with a shrug.

Maybe he was right. The idea of their destinies being fulfilled seemed so daunting, and now that it was over, she felt strangely empty. Living the rest of her life as Hyrule's queen seemed very unsatisfying, if she were being honest. Somewhere between her struggles and fears, she had enjoyed her travels around Hyrule with Link at her side. There was something freeing, being outside of the castle walls. Some part of her felt more at home out in Hyrule. Maybe Link felt that way, too.

She fumbled with the Sheikah Slate on her hip. It had been so long since she had even looked at it. It was still connected to the Divine Beasts… except for Vah Ruta. She knew she would have to return to the castle, but perhaps this would give them the distraction they needed. A chance to get out of the village, travel through Hyrule, make their way to Zora's Domain to make sure everything was okay.

"Perhaps we can check on the Divine Beasts one last time," she suggested. "Though, I cannot avoid my duty to return to the castle."

"Hyrule needs their queen," Link said with a nod.

"Well," she said, returning the slate. "We can set out in the morning, then, and see where things take us."

Link instinctively followed her as she made her way back towards the village.

"We'll need to help rebuild," she continued. "Clear out all those Guardians as well."

"We?"

Zelda turned and met Link's gaze. "Is there a problem?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of Link's lips. "Not at all."

Link and Zelda stood atop the hill overlooking Hyrule Field. In the distance, Hyrule Castle stood tall, no longer shrouded in the dark power that was Calamity Ganon. It had been a week since Calamity Ganon was defeated and sealed away, but they could not hide away in Kakariko Village forever. Zelda still had a duty to her kingdom to take the throne as queen and help the kingdom rebuild. She was determined to bring Hyrule to its former glory, and then some. But in doing so meant she would have to return to the castle, and that frightened her. The last time she was there, it was not her home any longer, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to call it home again. But with Link at her side, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Zelda turned her gaze to the Sheikah Slate. "We'll make our way to Zora's Domain," she said. "Divine Beast Vah Ruta looks like it stopped working. Let's investigate the situation." She looked out towards Zora's Domain with pain in her heart. She lowered the slate. "Mipha's father… I believe he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is visit him and offer him some closure. Although Ganon is gone for now, there is still so much more for us to do. And so many painful memories that we must bear. I believe in my heart, that if all of us work together, we can restore Hyrule to its former glory. Perhaps… even beyond. But it all must start with us."

She hesitated a moment, letting her gaze linger on Hyrule Castle. Admittedly, she was grateful that she would not have to return at that moment. But she was concerned as well that Vah Ruta had stopped working. Though they were no longer under Ganon's threat, Hyrule's future was cursed to repeat history, and without proper defenses, Hyrule would surely fall. The Divine Beasts would remain, under the control of their new Champions, for as long as Hyrule remained.

"Let's be off," she said, walking towards the horses. She paused halfway, hesitant. "I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword. I suppose it would make sense if my power had dwindled over the last one hundred years." She turned to Link and smiled. "I'm surprised to admit it, but I can accept that."

Link made his way to her side as they walked towards the horses. Zora's Domain was only about a day's ride away, but he was eager to get back in the saddle and being the trip. There was a sense of familiarity - of a time before Calamity Ganon struck - that grounded Link and eased his own anxieties slightly.

He settled into the saddle and followed Zelda, pushing his horse into a gallop across Hyrule Field. For a moment, he didn't think about his fallen comrades. He didn't fear the Guardians' deadly blasts. He didn't feel suffocated under Ganon's threatening shadow. For that moment, he was galloping beside Zelda towards South Akkala in a race to see who was the better rider. He was sitting with her under a tree as they waited out the storm. He was holding her in his arms when she wanted to give up. He was gazing into her eyes at Sanidin Park. He was pressing his lips against hers. He was pulling her out of harm's way, protecting her from the blades of the Yiga, the blasts of the Guardians. He was in her arms, fighting to stay alive.

And then he was gazing out over Hyrule with no memory of any of it.

"Link?"

He looked up and met Zelda's gaze. He hadn't realized they had stopped riding. He turned his eyes down at his horse who was grazing quietly. He realized, then, that his knuckles were white from gripping the reins unnecessarily hard. He forced his fingers to loosen, but there were deep marks in his palms that had started to bleed.

"What's wrong?"

Link's gaze moved back to Zelda's. He forced a smile. "Nothing," he said. "I was trying to let you win."

Zelda didn't buy it, but she didn't argue with him, either. She returned his smile. "Sure you were," she said, turning her horse back around. "Or this time, I have the faster horse." She pushed her horse forward once more. She had no intent on racing Link, but he caught up easily and stayed at her side as they rode to Zora's Domain.

Link looked up at the statue of Mipha. He had seen it countless times during his travels. He had no memory of the Zora princess when he awoke, or even of Prince Sidon when he first stumbled upon Zora's Domain. It wasn't until his gaze was cast upon the statue erected in her memory did the memories of her return to him.

"You act as if you had never seen it before," Muzu said as he walked to Link's side.

Link narrowed his eyes at the Zora elder. He was still skeptical of the elder, aware of his previous disdain towards the Hylian knight.

"I suppose we are in your debt once more," Muzu continued. "You have done well in your duty to stop Calamity Ganon. I must thank you for all you have endured for us."

Link said nothing, turning his gaze back to the statue.

"It was no mystery that Mipha lost her life when Calamity Ganon rose," Muzu said. "Still. It eases our pain to know that her spirit is free and Ganon is gone. And Prince Sidon has really taken to that Divine Beast. I suppose he only wants to follow in his sister's footsteps, hm?" Muzu turned away from Link, his fins clasped behind his back. "It's good to see you well, Link," he said as he walked away, leaving Link alone once more.

Link watched him leave for a moment, then turned his gaze to Zelda and Prince Sidon as they made their way across the bridge, finally finished with Vah Ruta. Prince Sidon was babbling on enthusiastically to Zelda and she laughed along side him, smiling to Link as they approached.

"Clearly I don't possess the same skills Mipha did," Prince Sidon said. "But I'm honored to be entrusted with Vah Ruta."

Zelda turned to him and smiled. "Just don't break it again," she teased. "I can't keep coming out here and telling your father it was just a technical error. He'll get suspicious."

"Of course," Prince Sidon said with a grin. "Thank you again for your help." He turned to Link. "I'm sure you have much to do, but don't be a stranger. I quite enjoy your visits."

"Just as long as I don't have to go back into that Divine Beast," Link said. He pulled his hood over his head and started towards the bridge. He listened as Zelda said her goodbyes, then paused to wait for her to catch up. They walked side by side in silence for a moment before Zelda spoke.

"We could check on the other Divine Beasts," Zelda suggested. "Make sure there's no trouble before we return to the castle."

"Sure," Link said simply.

"Impa said that they would be able to move the Guardians," Zelda continued. "I'd like to see Castle Town thrive again." She sighed. "It will be so much work to rebuild."

"I know a guy," Link said.

Zelda turned her gaze to him. "You know a guy? That can help?"

"Is that so surprising?"

Zelda smiled. "Who else do you know?" she asked.

"A pretty good cook," Link said with a grin. "He makes a pretty good fruitcake."

"Oh yeah?"

"I may have given him some cookbooks I found around the castle."

"So, that's what you were doing that whole time? Instead of fighting Ganon, you were sneaking around stealing cookbooks?"

"I found your journal, too."

Zelda stopped at the edge of the bridge, watching angrily as Link mounted his horse. "You didn't."

Link only smiled at her. "Where to, Your Highness?"


	3. Chapter 2

From Zora's Domain, Link and Zelda continued onward to Goron City to check on Vah Rudania and its new Champion, Yunobo. Under Bludo's watchful eye, Yunobo proved to be able to work the Divine Beast without issue. Link and Zelda didn't spend a second longer than necessary in the sweltering heat and quickly made their way off the mountain.

Zelda was still fuming about Link reading her journal when they got off the mountain and stopped at the nearby stables for the night. She wasn't sure whether she actually believed him or not, but she didn't dare bring it up for fear that it was true, and he would spill all the embarassing details to her. She felt better thinking there was a chance he was playing with her that he actually didn't know any of the details at all.

In the morning, the journal was no longer on her mind, and they began the trip to Rito Village to check on Vah Medoh. It was the same route they traveled one hundred years ago, though it seemed like it was only yesterday to Zelda. It felt so surreal to be there again with Link, and an eerie chill shot up her spine. How oblivious they were then to Calamity Ganon's threat. She couldn't help but to feel that his threat lingered on the horizon once more. But of course, he had been defeated, by her and Link, no less, so surely that wasn't a possibility. Perhaps, then, it was just the strange sense of de ja vu that stirred inside her.

They left at the first light of day in hopes of getting to Rito Village before nightfall, which meant a very long ride for her and Link. And to Zelda's dismay, Link still didn't have much to say to her. Their conversation – or what little conversation they had – was forced and even awkward, and Zelda couldn't help the feeling that there was much left unsaid between them. Her mind continued to replay the moment they shared after Calamity Ganon's defeat; their victorious kiss, the promise he had made to her. Perhaps it was nothing more than a brief celebration.

She blushed simply thinking about it and tried desperately to push the thought aside. Whatever it was, it was short lived. It seemed to delicate a topic to bring up, especially considering how cold Link had been since then. She couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. All she knew was that he was closed off – nothing like he was a hundred years ago – and it hurt her too much to think about. Clearly it would only upset him more if she continued to pry about it. But how long could he really keep it up, anyway?

"What?"

Zelda looked up, realizing then that she and her horse had trailed behind. Link's brows were furrowed together.

"What?" Zelda repeated.

"You sighed."

She did? "Oh."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you have something to say, say it."

Zelda bit the corner of her lip and looked away. "I have nothing to say," she said simply. She kicked her horse gently with her heels, encouraging him into a trot until they took the lead. She ignored Link's lingered stare as her horse slowed back to a forward walk.

Link trailed just slightly behind her through the rest of the afternoon. The sun's slow descent behind the horizon was blocked by dark clouds that moved in quickly. As they came around Piper Ridge, the clouds opened, and the rain fell in sudden, heavy sheets. They pulled their cloaks over their heads, though their hair was already plastered to their faces. The rain soaked their clothes within moments and brought a chill to the air. Zelda shivered as she pulled her cloak tighter and Link trotted to her side. He had to shout to her over the heavy rainfall.

"Come on," he said as he pulled at her reins. He kicked his horse forward and they both broke into a fast gallop. Their horses' hooves splashed against the dirt, kicking mud up in their wake, their necks craning forward as they moved as fast as they could. Their breathing panted in rhythm to their steps, and their riders leaned forward out of their saddles, urging the horses faster still.

The rain pelted at their faces, and Zelda's eyes squinted in an attempt to keep the rain out. She could barely see through the rain as it was without the drops attacking her eyes, and all she could do was pray that her horse could see enough to get them to the village. At the pace they were moving, it wouldn't be long before they reached the first bridge.

When they finally did reach the bridge, Link and Zelda were soaked, their legs covered in the mud that the horses kicked up as they galloped along. They slowed their horses, and Link slid off before pulling his to a stop. He caught Zelda in his arms as she clumsily slid off her own horse, then he hurried to lead both horses into the nearby stables. He removed their wet equipment and the horses immediately shook out their wet coats with a satisfied sigh. They mosied over to a large pile of hay and began to eat happily.

Zelda hurried into the stables behind Link, removing her hood and wringing out her hair as best as she could, muttering to herself under her breath about the rain. She looked up when Link sighed. He, too, removed his hood, and briefly shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. He caught her gaze briefly, then turned his attention back on the horses, using his own cloak to wipe down their muddied legs before it dried and caked on them.

Zelda stripped out of her wet cloak and sat on a bale of hay and leaned back against the wall of the stables with a light sigh. Despite the protection the cloak offered, it was not enough to keep the heavy rain of seeping through and soaking her to the bone, and another shiver shot up her spine. It was not the first time they had been caught in some rain. In fact, two specific moments came to mind, each one bringing a wave of emotions with it.

The first time, they had taken shelter for the night, building a fire to allow their clothes to dry out as much as possible. Zelda sternly instructed that he turn away after Link offered her his dry shirt. It was large on her, naturally. But it was warm and comfortable. She felt safe. Slightly exposed, and convinced Link was undressing her with his eyes, but safe nonetheless.

The second time, Calamity Ganon had struck. They were trying their best to escape the Guardians that had been taken over by Ganon's power. They were going to the only place they could think of as a last attempt to win the war when they were bombarded once more and Link fell in her arms.

Zelda looked up, noticing then that Link seemed to be watching her. She pinched her lips together and wondered what was going through his mind. She offered a smile and dared to speak.

"Rain, huh?" What a stupid thing to say. She cursed herself internally.

Link's lip twitched into a smile and he shrugged. "Yup."

Though Yunobo eagerly accepted his role as Champion, Teba proved to be more reluctant for the task, still holding a small grudge against the beast that tried to kill him. But he was a warrior to his very core, and he eventually warmed up to his new role, following dutifully in Revali's footsteps.

Link and Zelda stayed in the village over night, and by morning, the sun had pushed the last of the rain clouds away. Warm, dry, and their stomachs full, they gathered their horses and continued on their way south-east towards the desert to check on the final Divine Beast.

"Do you remember," Zelda started, breaking the silence as they rode, "how terrible I used to be with horses?" She smiled down at her horses and leaned forward to pat his neck.

Link made a sound through his nose.

"But I still managed to beat you in a race," she continued. She straightened and turned her gaze to Link with a smile. "Remember that?"

Link's brows furrowed together. He shrugged. "I let you win."

Zelda's smile grew. "Do you remember -"

"Is this necessary?" Link hissed, cutting her off. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you trying to quiz me?"

Zelda's smile disappeared. "What? No. Why would I -"

"Stop breathing down my neck," he muttered, turning his gaze away. His voice softened. "I remember everything."

Zelda tore her gaze away from him and bit her lip. Her horse, reacting to her posture change as she slumped slightly, slowed and trailed behind lazily, his tail swishing along behind him. Her heart ached painfully and her throat tightened. She hadn't meant to upset him, but she was starting to see how painful the memories were to him. Perhaps he didn't want to remember any of it. Not even the good moments they shared. Perhaps he was too far gone. It seemed just as Zelda had feared; things would never be the same between them again. Tears stung her eyes and she swallowed hard in an attempt to push down the lump in her throat. She blinked back the tears before they could dare to escape and took up the reins once more, encouraging her horse to move into a more forward walk.

Link had turned back when he realized Zelda had fallen behind once more. He watched as she seemed to fight to regain some composure. When she looked up again and pushed her horse forward, Link tore his gaze away from her and his horse walked on once more. He pinched his lips together but said nothing as Zelda caught up to them. He could tell she wanted to say something, but she remained silent, careful to avoid her gaze as if it would upset him further. He regretted his angry outburst towards her as soon as it happened, and he only felt worse when he saw how it effected her. He bit his tongue in an attempt to keep himself from saying anything to worsen the situation. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. He was already failing miserably at that.

It was late in the morning of the next day when they arrived in Gerudo Desert. Riju was eager to assume her role as the new Champion, just as her ancestor, Urbosa, had done. She showed no fear towards Vah Naboris and even seemed fond of the Divine Beast, speaking to it as lovingly as she did with her sand seal, Patricia. Her excitement bubbled through even when they returned to the ground and she cooed to Patricia. She scratched the seal's head and Patricia purred happily.

"So," Riju started, her hands on her hips. "When do Vah Naboris and I get to see some action?"

"Hopefully you won't," Zelda said. She laughed lightly as Riju hung her head in disappointment. "But should anything arise, we will be counting on the two of you."

Riju saluted them enthusiastically. "You can count on us," she said proudly. "We're up for any challenges. If Calamity Ganon ever tries to show his face around here again, he'll meet our wrath!"

By early afternoon, they made their way out of the desert and back towards Kakariko, where Impa's soldiers waited to accompany them back to the castle. Zelda patted her steed's neck as they rode through the canyon away from the desert.

"I suppose that's it, then," she said. "Nothing left to do but return to the castle." Despite it being her home, she did not feel anxious to go back. In fact, the idea of going back felt haunting. The last time she was there, Ganon had infiltrated the castle and she fought for her life. After that, she wasn't sure if it would really feel like home again.

Link said nothing in response. Admittedly, his mind, too, was on their return to the castle. Despite the emotional trouble he was sure he was putting Zelda through, it felt good to be on the back of a horse once more, roaming through Hyrule. It gave him a sense of purpose in a time in his life where he knew he no longer served a purpose. After all he had been through, he wasn't important any longer. Most of his friends were gone and Hyrule was almost completely destroyed by Calamity Ganon. If it weren't for Zelda, he would have truly had nothing left. Nothing waited for him back at the castle. While Zelda still had a kingdom to rebuild and rule, he had nothing.

And that haunting sense of nothingness followed him like a dark cloud, slowly swallowing him, threatening to take him away, and he was afraid he'd lose himself to the darkness.


	4. Chapter 3

Link and Zelda returned to Kakariko Village, their last stop before returning to Hyrule Castle. Link seemed just as distant with her as he did when they left almost a week ago. They worked silently unsaddling their horses and leading them into the stables before making their way to Impa's.

"I trust everything went well?" Impa asked as they entered. She looked up briefly to acknowledge them, then turned her eyes back down to some papers scattered around on the table.

"Everything's in working order," Zelda confirmed.

Impa nodded once. "Good. I have one last request of you, then, before you return to the castle."

This was a relief to Zelda. "What else can I do for you?"

Impa eyed the queen carefully. "Am I putting you out, Your Highness?"

Zelda smiled and shook her head. "Of course not."

"I'm not much of a rider these days, and my men are a bit preoccupied getting ready themselves to make the trip with you back to the castle." She paused for a moment. "And I have a feeling you're not quite ready, yet."

Zelda hesitated. "I have to return soon."

"Just as soon as you return the Sheikah Slate to Purah, hm?"

That would make for another day's ride just to get to Hateno Village. "Return it?" Without realizing it, she had grown attached to the device.

"Well, neither you nor Link have much use for it now. And Purah is anxious to see the data that has been collected from the Divine Beasts. You know how she is with her research."

"Yes," Zelda said. "We can do that."

"There's no rush," Impa said. "Rest and leave tomorrow." She bowed her head slightly to Zelda, nodded towards Link, and made her way outside, leaving them alone.

"Well," Zelda said with a sigh. "One more errand, then."

But Link seemed disinterested in conversing with her. He seemed disinterested in just about everything lately. He shrugged. "Sure."

Zelda met his gaze and hesitated. "You're different."

Link narrowed his eyes at her. "How so?"

Zelda turned her gaze to the floor. "You're… cold."

"I'm not cold," Link retorted.

"You are," Zelda argued. "Cold, stiff, and angry."

Link rolled his eyes at her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You're doing it right now," Zelda hissed. She caught his gaze once more. "Ever since… since…"

"Since when?" Link snapped. "Since I awoke from some one hundred year slumber without a clue as to who I even was? Since I was told to defeat Calamity Ganon all while getting my memories shoved in my face? Since I brought Calamity Ganon down, all for a world that has already been destroyed?" His eyes narrowed further. "Angry? Of course not. Why would I be?"

"Subtle," Zelda growled at him. "You're outspoken, too."

"Well excuse me, Princess," he barked at her. "Pleasantries were thrown out the window one hundred years ago."

"Look," Zelda started, her temper growing short. "It's all over with now. No one is forcing you to hang around. I have a duty to my kingdom, but yours is done with. There's nothing keeping you around any longer."

"I'm glad I have your permission to leave, Your Highness," Link snarled at her. He lifted the Master Sword over his head and let it drop to the ground at Zelda's feet. "I've done enough for this damned kingdom." He turned his back to her and left her alone in the room, slamming the door behind him.

Zelda stared dumbly after him, still processing his abrupt exit. Her eyes turned down to the sword at her feet, but she was no longer fuming. She felt… heart broken. She thought she were enough for Link to stick around. She thought… she thought… It didn't matter what she thought. She thought wrong.

She looked up as the door opened once more but her heart sank when she saw it was only Impa. She turned away but could feel Impa's gaze hard on her back.

"Did he leave?" Zelda asked softly.

"Yes. And he seemed quite angry."

"I don't understand," Zelda started. "He seems so different now. So angry."

"War is not easy, Zelda," Impa said gently. "Especially for a Chosen Hero."

"I know," Zelda said, growing frustrated. "I just thought… I thought things would be different. I thought things would get better."

"War takes a toll on people," Impa continued. "It changes people. It hardens people."

Zelda turned and met Impa's gaze. "Why?"

"We expected a lot from one man," Impa said. "Think of what he's had to endure."

"And I haven't?"

"You've changed, too."

Zelda stiffened. "I haven't changed."

"You're a little angrier, too."

Zelda turned her gaze back to the Master Sword, still lying on the ground. "I thought - when this was all over - I thought everything would go back to the way it was. Before all this happened."

"The world will never be the same," Impa said softly. "We can only learn to adjust to the changes and make something good out of it."

Zelda turned her gaze out the window. The village was set aglow by the burning light of the setting sun.

"I never wanted to be a burden," Zelda said softly. "To anyone." She turned and met Impa's gaze. "I want to learn to defend myself. I want to learn to fight."

Impa hesitated. "Link will return," she said, but Zelda shook her head.

"I don't want to depend on Link any longer," she said sternly. "I can take care of myself. I am the last ruler of Hyrule, after all. I should learn to protect myself as much as I can." She picked up the Master Sword and let her fingers run along the hilt.

"I suppose that's a reasonable request," Impa said.

Link regretted his childish outburst the moment he galloped out of Kakariko Village. But he was still fuming, and his anger outweighed his regret, pushing him forward until he was out in Hyrule Field where he finally slowed his horse. The sun had disappeared over the horizon, and millions of stars dotted the night sky. It was then that his mind finally seemed to quiet and he stared up at the sky. And it was then that he decided he would not return to Kakariko, or to Hyrule Castle, or to Zelda.

It was clear to him, then, that nothing would ever be the same. He was not the same person he was one hundred years ago. He knew it. Zelda knew it. And it was hurting her. Link didn't exactly understand it himself. Most of the time, he didn't even realize how he was acting until he saw it on Zelda's face. He was already hurting as it was, and seeing how it effected Zelda only made the pain worse.

But he couldn't escape it. The memories. The dreams. In everything he did, he was haunted. He couldn't shake off the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. He was afraid; afraid of what would become of him. He couldn't bear to let Zelda see him suffering, and he would give anything not to see her suffer. If he were the reason for her pain, then all he could think to do was take the pain away. He couldn't be around her any longer.

He looked back over his shoulder towards the village. She was safe now. She didn't need him around to protect her. And she had the entire Sheikah clan, who would do a much better job helping her than he would. He turned forward once more and kicked his horse on, eager to get as far from the village as possible. He probably knew Hyrule better than anyone, and he was sure he would be able to find a place away from prying eyes where he could be alone.

He rode through most of the night, stopping only to give his horse a much needed rest. He found himself at Grinnden Plains, on the high hill that over looked the Taobab Grasslands. From where he stood, he could even see out into the vast Gerudo Desert, which was lit ablaze by the rising sun to the east while the rest of the world was still shrouded in darkness. He uncinched the girth to remove the saddle from his horse and put it down gently beside a tree. As soon as he removed the bridle, his horse picked her way through the grass until she found a patch to graze on. Link sat on the ground, letting his head rest against the tree, and closed his eyes.

For five days, Link stayed near the grasslands. With only his bow for a weapon, he busied himself with hunting the animals in the area. He galloped across the grasslands, letting his horse stretch her legs. She threw her head in the air joyfully as the wind whipped through her mane. He took her to Lake Hylia where she dipped her nose eagerly into the water, blowing bubbles before taking a long drink. And then they plunged in together, the mare happily kicking her hooves under her as they swam through the cool, refreshing water.

At night, Link stared into the fire, paying no mind to the mare as she wandered through the tall grass. It was at night when his mind was as quiet as the world around him. Only the crickets offered him company as the darkness closed in further around him. He felt no better now than he had felt five days ago. Though he wanted nothing more to be alone where he wouldn't be able to hurt Zelda, he felt like he had even less purpose than before. At least with Zelda, he was a little more present. Even though they were running seemingly menial tasks, he was doing something. And in the back of his mind, he was still there to protect her, not that any trouble should arise. But at least it was something. He was starting to think leaving Kakariko was a bad idea.

It was on the morning of the sixth day when he decided to return to Kakariko. And if Zelda wasn't there, he would go to the castle to find her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be furious with him, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. But as he proceeded to saddle his horse, something caught his attention. From where he stood, he could just see into the canyon where a cloud of dust seemed to form. From the distance he was to the canyon, the dust cloud had to have been very large for him to notice it.

He stepped into the stirrup and pulled himself into the saddle, immediately pushing his horse into a gallop. They moved across the grasslands towards the cliff face on the other side. It wasn't particularly high, but it would still take Link time to scale the cliff, and he was sure whatever was going on would be long over by the time he reached the top.

He began climbing regardless, picking his way over the rocks and shoving his foot into every nook and cranny, pulling himself up until he reached the top. As he predicted, the dust cloud had cleared by the time he got there, and there seemed to be no further activity. Nothing but a man that seemed to lay lifeless on the ground.

Link checked his surroundings quickly before making his way down the other side. When he reached the bottom, he could tell that the man had been attacked and appeared to be bleeding out on the ground. Link picked his way carefully over to the man until he stood above him. The man's breathing was forced and shallow, and it was only a matter of minutes before his body would fail him. He opened his eyes as Link's shadow moved over him and he winced slightly. But when he realized Link posed no threat, his eyes widened, frantic.

He tried to sit up, but the pain was too much for him, and he immediately fell back to the ground, coughing up blood and nearly choking to death on it. When his breath returned to him, he spoke as quickly as he could, ignoring his pain.

"The Yiga Clan," he said, his voice hoarse. "They're looking for you."

Link narrowed his gaze on the man. He dropped to his knees and grabbed the man by his shirt, pulling him towards him. "What do you know?" he snarled.

A whimper escaped the man's throat. He closed his eyes. "I know," he started. "I know that you and the princess were at Kakariko. They attacked me. Forced me to tell them." He coughed up more blood. "I'm sorry."

Link pushed the man into the dirt angrily. He stood and kicked the man in the gut, seemingly kicking out his last breath. The man stared, his empty gaze on the sky as blood continued to pool around him. Link tore his gaze off of the man and looked down into the canyon. The Yiga Clan had sent their spies out looking for him, surely looking to get their revenge after Link murdered their leader. And now, they knew where Zelda was, and they would stop at nothing to see her and Link dead.


	5. Chapter 4

Link didn't waste a second returning to his horse, and by nightfall, they were galloping out of the grasslands and back towards Kakariko. He was sure that the Yiga soldiers that had attacked that man would return to their base to share the information they had gathered, and they would not waste a second moving out to get to Kakariko. Though Link was presumably in the lead, he knew the Yiga Clan would move quickly, and he had to get to the village before they did. Which meant even in his exhaustion, he could not stop riding.

He rode through the night, into the morning, and into the night once more, running purely on adrenaline. If he didn't stop, he could reach the village by morning. But as it was, he was barely able to keep himself in the saddle, and his horse would surely need more than just a few minutes of rest. At that moment, he found himself slipping out of the saddle, and he landed hard on the ground, the force enough to wake him up once more. He rubbed at his temples as his horse peered at him over her shoulder. She seemed to be judging him from where she stood, and she waited for him to get to his feet.

It took all of his strength to get up. He scanned the area around them. There was no sign of the Yiga Clan, and he supposed he could stop for long enough to get a few hours of sleep. He took the reins and walked his horse off the path and into the nearby woods. He had just enough energy to remove the saddle and bridle before he let himself fall to the ground where he immediately fell asleep.

Dawn was just breaking when he awoke, and for a moment, he felt disoriented. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned loudly. He jumped at the sound of his horse moving through the brush, and he suddenly remembered why he felt so tired. He moved quickly to saddle his horse to continue the journey to Kakariko, stepping into the saddle and pushing the mare into a gallop out of the trees.

They rode through the morning and into the afternoon, making sure to keep off the main roads. He slowed only when he heard voices and turned to see a group of red clothed figures moving around the corner. He dismounted quickly and quietly and knelt low to the ground, making sure to keep hidden in the long grass. He moved towards a large boulder, keeping hidden behind it as he peered around. In the distance, coming up the road, was an army of red. They did not march like any soldiers, nor did they wear armor. Link did not need to guess at who they were, for they were none other than the Yiga Clan. And there were many of them; foot soldiers and blade masters. A few jumped ahead, likely scouting out their path. They were headed across the river towards Sahasra Slope, which would no doubt bring them into Kakariko Village.

Link pressed himself against the boulder, his heart racing. They moved quicker than he anticipated, and it wouldn't be long before they reached the village. He didn't think it would be possible to outride them without being noticed, which only left one option.

Instinctively, Link reached for his sword, but only grabbed air. He cursed under his breath; why did he have to be so brash and stupid? He left Zelda alone, unguarded in the village, and he didn't even have a weapon on him.

He hurried through the grass towards his horse. The mare grazed quietly, patiently waiting for her master to return. She lifted her head and flicked her ears as Link hurried towards her and climbed into the saddle. He turned the horse around and kicked her into a gallop, making sure to keep close to the tree line until the Yiga Clan was out of sight. As long as they didn't see him, they would have no reason to quicken their pace. As long as Link remained unseen, he would have a chance to get to the village before they did.

It had been over a week since Link left the village and Zelda was growing anxious. She never expected him to be gone for so long, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was gone for good. She couldn't hide out in Kakariko Village much longer, but she didn't want to make the trip to the castle - or even live in the castle, for that matter - without Link. Now that he was back in her life, she was unwilling to let him disappear again, and he had already done just that.

Zelda trained day and night with the Sheikah soldiers, and though she was certainly no master swordsman, she felt confident in her abilities to be able to adequately defend herself. At the very least, she could assume the appropriate stance and hold the sword as necessary to best attack and counter her opponent. She was no Hero of Hyrule, but perhaps if he ever returned - when he returned - she would be decent enough to put that son of a bitch in his place. You know, payback. He was getting too arrogant, anyway.

It was nightfall on the ninth day when Zelda turned in from another day of training. Impa had been dropping reminders to her to return to the castle. She graciously parted with her own Sheikah soldiers to accompany Zelda and even stay at the castle to reform Hyrule's own army. They waited patiently for Zelda to finally agree to return to the castle, but she wasn't ready. Not just yet.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze resting on the sword in her lap. It held up surprisingly well over the last one hundred years. Of course, why wouldn't it, as one hundred years was surely nothing compared to the life of the sword. How curious a blade it was, over ten thousand years old. So much it had seen and endured, and surely its life would not end there. It would see many more heroes and many more battles. It would save many more lives and seal away more darkness than Zelda could ever imagine.

A small explosion brought her out of her thoughts, however. She turned her gaze out the dark window as another louder, closer explosion followed the first. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the window, gazing out as lit torches hurried throughout the village. She watched as shadowy figures seemed to leap out of nowhere, jumping down from rooftops and trees and emerging out of the darkness. She peered out as the figures darted through the village and caught an all too familiar sight of red that belonged to none other than the Yiga Clan.

Without wasting another moment, Zelda hurried out of the room, grabbing the Master Sword as she passed it, and leapt down the stairs. Impa was standing with one of her commanders as Zelda hurried by them, ignoring Impa's shouts to remain inside.

Outside, Zelda froze on the top step, watching in horror as Sheikah soldiers battled with members of the Yiga Clan. Steel clanged against steel as their weapons struck and their battle cries filled the air, sending a shiver up her spine. She understood, now. No training would ever prepare her - prepare anyone - for the true heat of battle. Nothing could ever prepare her to throw her life on the line, for anyone or anything. In that moment, all she wanted to do was run and protect herself. She was who they like wanted, after all.

She gripped the sword in her hands with determination. She wasn't about to be marked as a coward. She, Hyrule's queen, needed to show as much courage as she expected out of any of her own soldiers. She would be a leader to be loved and feared. She would never go down without a fight. If she could seal away Calamity Ganon, she could take on a few Yiga soldiers.

She hurried down the steps, ready to plunge herself into the battle, but stopped short before she reached the bottom. A Yiga blade master stood at the bottom of the steps, grinning wickedly at her. Zelda raised the sword, but the threat did not intimidate him. Instead, he raised his own deadly blade and did not hesitate to bring it down upon her. Zelda reacted quickly, however, blocking the blow with the Master Sword, but he was far too strong for her, and she buckled under his weight. She rolled to the side as his blade came crashing down beside her, and taking advantage of the moment it was stuck in the wood, she leapt to her feet and thrust her sword at him. Before the sword could hit its target, however, the blade master disappeared before her eyes, laughing wickedly.

She spun around, her heart racing, as she searched for any sign of him, but he was seemingly gone from the battle. She lowered her sword and her eyes scanned the battle. Something wasn't right. He was there somewhere, watching her, waiting.

And he had found his moment. The moment where Zelda dropped her guard.

She knew it was too late when she saw him. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for her life to end. She felt a blow to her side and she was knocked to the ground. She looked up at an all too familiar sight as Link stood before her. But this time, Daruk's red shield protected them from the blade master's attack, knocking him forcefully across the village and onto the ground. Daruk's shield grew, enveloping the Sheikah soldiers inside as ferocious strikes of lightning annihilated the ground. The force of the attack caused the ground to shake and split as each strike hit a clustering of Yiga soldiers. When the attack died down, Daruk's shield disappeared, but the battle had not been won: one Yiga blade master remained.

He threw himself towards Link, now defenseless and without a weapon, but Link was quick to dodge the blow. As he did so, he kicked at the blade master's feet, causing him to stumble, then lurched towards the enemy's blade. He twisted the blade master's arm, and in the moment of a sickening snap, he grabbed the blade and kicked the Yiga blade master forward. As he stumbled backwards, Link seized the opportunity to bring the blade across his enemy's neck. Blood spewed from the open wound and out the blade master's mouth as he fell to his knees first, then face down onto the ground.

Zelda watched in horror as Link let the blade drop to the ground. He turned to look at her over his shoulder, his brows knit together angrily.

"You idiot -" he started, but his expression softened as his noticed the fear in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but could not find anything to say. His stomach twisted sickeningly at the idea the he had caused that fear in her. He turned his gaze to the lifeless body at his feet.

"Zelda -"

"That's quite enough drama for one night," Impa said from the top of the steps. Her eyes narrowed at them through her wrinkles. "Are you content on destroying my village, Link?"

Link turned his gaze to Impa, his expression hard once more. "I get results."

Impa, however, was not amused. "They're watching you," she hissed at him. "Following you. They will stop at nothing until you're both dead."

Zelda got to her feet slowly. She avoided Link's gaze as she turned to Impa. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've done this. I've brought them here."

Impa hesitated, her expression softening. "Get inside, the both of you." She turned her gaze to the Sheikah soldiers. "And get rid of these bodies." She turned her back to them and disappeared inside.

"That was a dangerous move, Link," Impa said as they walked in behind her, but she did not turn to them.

"I didn't have much of a choice," he said through gritted teeth. He moved to Zelda and grabbed his sword from her hands.

Zelda winced slightly as he forcefully pulled the sword from her. She turned her gaze down at her feet. "I figured you'd be useless without it," she muttered.

"I don't need a sword to fight," Link snapped at her.

"Indeed," Impa said turning to them. "It seems Link has some remarkable abilities as well. No doubt a blessing from the spirits of the Champion's you freed."

Link paid no mind to Impa as he secured the Master Sword on his back once more.

"Daruk," Zelda said. "I thought that shield seemed familiar."

"Fortunately for you," Link said simply.

"Enough bickering," Impa snarled at them. "That is unfitting for a queen and a knight."

Zelda crossed her arms stubbornly, turning away from Link.

"Did your mother teach you nothing?" Impa barked at her.

Zelda let her arms drop to her sides and hung her head.

"It is time for you to return to the castle," Impa said. "Hyrule is awaiting their queen. Do not disappoint them."

"Don't you think the Yiga Clan will go straight there?" Link growled at Impa.

"Zelda has a duty to her kingdom that cannot be overlooked. It is her duty to help rebuild, which means rebuilding the castle as well, regardless of the threats that lurk in the shadows. You cannot run and hide from the Yiga Clan. But you will not be without an army, Zelda. My men will guard the castle night and day, and when it is time, the Yiga Clan will be defeated."

"That might all sound good," Link started, forcing himself not to add the insult he had brewing in his mind, "but Zelda won't be safe anywhere until the Yiga Clan is gone."

Impa turned her gaze to Link, her eyes narrowed at him. "Then I suggest you work on defeating them before they get another chance to attack. And I can assure you it won't be as easy as infiltrating their base like last time."

"Last time?" Zelda echoed, finally turning her gaze to Link, but his hard, angry eyes were focused on Impa.

"I can assure you there won't be a next time," he said simply.

"What happened last time?" Zelda repeated, turning to Impa, then back to Link.

"Link murdered their leader."

"Just another item checked off the list," he said. "You're welcome."

It was no wonder they were after her and Link. Her eyes darted between him and Impa as they bickered back and forth.

"I did not thank you for that," Impa said.

"So far, you haven't thanked me for anything."

"Watch your arrogance, Link," Impa hissed. "I'm in no mood."

"I'm sorry I almost destroyed the village," Link said, but the tone in his voice was less than sincere.

"I must have Purah look in on that Shrine of Resurrection," Impa muttered. "Because clearly it has turned nice boys into obnoxious men."

"Do me a favor," Link started. "Don't stick me in there again." Without another word, he turned and left Impa and Zelda alone in the house.

Zelda stared at Impa as the old woman sighed.

"Good luck," she said to Zelda. "You're going to need it."


	6. Chapter 5

To Zelda's relief, Link did not take off again, but he didn't make it easy for her to find him, either. In fact, he seemed to avoid her, and she didn't see him until later that night as they made their way upstairs. He ignored her when she complained about wanting her own room, making comments that she didn't need to be guarded. She gave up the argument, knowing she would not win, and pulled the blankets over her shoulder in her best attempt to stay out of sight. She didn't think Link would ever settle down, and she almost yelled at him to quit his pacing, but thought better of it.

She didn't relax until his pacing finally did stop and he sat against the other bed. She listened for any further movements, but he didn't seem to do anything more but sit. "I seriously doubt we'll be attacked again," she muttered, but Link did not respond.

Zelda sighed and stared at the wall, trying desperately to block the images of the fight that had taken place just hours earlier. It wasn't so much the Yiga soldiers that frightened her, but the sight of Link so easily slicing through the neck of the blade master that disturbed her. It certainly wasn't the first time he had seem him fight, but in the past, they were simply monsters that surely had some correlation to Calamity Ganon. They were murderous beasts that wanted nothing more to do their master's evil bidding.

The Yiga Clan, however... they were different. They were human. They were once Sheikah; soldiers that the royal family entrusted with their lives. They had betrayed that trust, betrayed all of Hyrule to join forces with Calamity Ganon. For what purpose, she didn't know. But even still, despite their intentions, they were human. Living, breathing souls. Men that surely had families at one point. Even if they wanted to kill her and Link, she couldn't possibly fathom ending their lives. The idea festered in her mind and caused her stomach to twist sickeningly.

She supposed, at the very least, it was what Link was trained to do. To be unaffected by such turmoils as was she. To be a cold, emotionless, fighting machine, who's only purpose was to protect the princess and defend Hyrule.

It was no wonder he acted the way he did.

 _The full moon rose high above Hyrule, it's wicked, red glow casting an eerie red shadow across the land. The air around him was electric and thick with spilt blood, and he could feel his throat closing up. He was alone in the vast, rolling hills of the kingdom. The castle loomed before him, a dark shadow cursed by Calamity Ganon's presence. The dark essence of his enemy swirled around the castle, creating a barrier._

 _Link... Please... Help me..._

 _Zelda. Link ran across the field towards the castle, but the castle only seemed to move further and further away. Zelda's voice grew more and more desperate, pleading with him._

 _Don't leave me. Don't give up._

 _He skid to a stop as the ground began to shake under his feet. Creatures began to rise from the ground, materializing out of thin air. Their shapes twisted and morphed before his eyes, then began to close in around him. He reached for his sword, but the weapon disintegrated in his hand. He turned quickly, watching panicked as the creatures moved in. He turned his gaze to the horizon, movement catching his attention. The Divine Beasts moved away from their positions and onto Hyrule Field. Their wicked roars bellowed over the land. As they neared, he could see each of their respected Champions, his friends, running for their lives._

 _Revali swooped through the air, taunting Vah Medoh. He pulled back his bow, his gaze fierce as he took aim and let his arrows fly. But the Divine Beast was much too powerful, and with a single blast, he locked on to Revali and blasted at his target. Revali's lifeless body fell from the air, landing with a sickening thud on the ground._

 _Daruk, too, fought desperately against Vah Rudania. His red shield circled around him as the Divine Beast closed in, but it proved no match for the beast's blast. The shield was destroyed immediately, leaving Daruk exposed, but the Goron stood his ground, looking up at the beast before him. But before he could think to attack, the beast blasted at him, and he, too, fell to the ground._

 _Link tried desperately to shout to Urbosa and Mipha, but no sound came out. He pushed his way through the monsters that swarmed him, realizing then that they were nothing more than distractions. They clawed at him with their hands, but otherwise, did not make any motion to attack him, seemingly weaponless. Still, they crowded him and clawed at him, slowing his movements drastically. He tried desperately to shove them aside and clear an opening for himself, but there were simply too many of them._

 _He watched helplessly as Urbosa met the same fate as Revali and Daruk. And then Mipha fell, too, unable to stop their Divine Beasts from attacking. Link fell to his knees as he watched his friends give their lives. The monsters closed in around him, blocking his vision of the red sky, and swallowed him in darkness. In that last moment, his chest felt utterly empty, and it simply hurt too much to fight against the creatures. He gave up and let himself succumb to the darkness._

Link awoke with a start, his breathing heavy. Before his eyes could even adjust to the darkness, he heard Zelda yelp and her feet hit the wood floor suddenly. He turned over just in time to see a light emit from her hand and he leapt across the room, knocking her back onto the bed. "Don't!"

The light disappeared instantly as the wind was knocked out of her. She struggled beneath the body until she realized it was Link. She blinked into the darkness, confused. "What?"

"Are you trying to kill us?" he snapped at her, now meeting her gaze.

Zelda's breath caught in her throat, her mind still trying to process what had happened. "What? What do you mean? What happened?" She turned her gaze to her hand as her piece of the Triforce faded. She had almost used her power, but at what? At Link?

"You scared me," she said breathlessly, now recalling what had happened.

Link backed away quickly and made his way across the room. "Sorry," he muttered.

"What happened?"

"It was just a dream," he said as he fell back onto the bed, his back to her. "Go back to sleep."

Zelda stared into the darkness, just barely making out the edges of his body. She had been startled awake by a sound she could now not recall, but something about it brought her to her defenses. Without her realizing it, she had summoned her own power, as if to attack some intruder. If Link had not stopped her, she likely would have killed them. Or, at the very least, turned Impa's house to rubble. The sound she had heard, then, must have been from Link. Did he have a nightmare?

"Link?"

But he did not respond. She lay back in the bed, her face against her hands. She did not want to accidentally use her power again.

Zelda found herself alone in the room when she awoke in the morning. Impa greeted her warmly when Zelda made her way downstairs, Dorian at her side.

"My men are ready whenever you are," Dorian said to her.

"Bring Purah the Sheikah Slate," Impa instructed. "My soldiers will go with you to Hateno Village, and then to the castle."

"What about the Yiga Clan?" Zelda asked.

"You will be safe with my men," Impa assured her. "We can focus our efforts on the Yiga Clan once you are safe at the castle."

"The Yiga Clan is our main concern," Dorian said. "I have sent my own spies out to gather intel on them. We will have them dealt with as soon as possible."

Their words offered little reassurance to her. Even though she knew they were there to protect her, she still felt uneasy going into Hyrule knowing the threat the Yiga Clan posed.

Zelda made her way outside, finding Link in the stables where he prepared their horses from the day's ride to Hateno Village. To her surprise, Link's mood seemed to have improved from the last few weeks, and he smiled to her when she approached. She wasn't sure what had changed, but she didn't dare ask.

"You're going to miss that stupid thing," Link said. He handed Zelda the reins to her horse.

Zelda smiled. She followed Link out of the stables, leading their horses. "Yeah, actually," she said. "I'm a little jealous that Purah gets to use it and I don't." She sighed lightly. "Though, I supposed I've used it enough. Purah will be able to study it better than I." She put her foot into the stirrup and swung her leg over her horse, settling into the saddle.

The morning was still young when Link and Zelda rode out of Kakariko Village with the Sheikah soldiers. A few of the soldiers rode ahead while the others remained behind them. The ride was relatively quiet as they made their way into Hyrule Field.

"Thank you," Zelda finally said softly, her gaze on her hands. "For… coming back. And saving me." She hated to admit that she did not have control of the situation as she had hoped.

"Did you really think you were going to take on a Yiga blade master?" Link's voice was light.

Zelda looked up and met his gaze. "It was worth a shot."

Link nodded thoughtfully and he turned his gaze to the horizon.

Was she imagining things? She was sure that he seemed… impressed.

"That's the secret," he said with a smirk.

"The secret?"

He met her gaze once more. "Pretending you have any damn clue what you're doing."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that so? So the whole time, you were just swinging that sword wildly and hoping for the best?"

"More or less."

Zelda made a sound of disapproval. "And to think my father trusted the fate of Hyrule in your hands."

Link smirked. "What was he thinking?"

Zelda shook her head. "I don't get it," she said. "When did you become so sarcastic?"

Link pretended to look off thoughtfully. He leaned back in the saddle and stretched his legs out. "You tend to look at life with a cynical eye when you wake up in some shrine with no memories and are expected to be some hero."

"Right." Zelda sighed. Whether he was trying to or not, it only made her feel guilty. And she couldn't get his words out of her head. "Do me a favor. Don't stick me in there again."

"I ate one of those frogs," Link said, bringing Zelda out of her thoughts.

She turned to him and raised a skeptical brow. "What?"

"The hot-footed frog," Link said with a grin. "Remember? You tried to get me to eat one."

"You… remember that?"

"I ate one," he repeated.

Zelda blinked at him for a moment. "And?"

"It was disgusting."

Zelda laughed lightly. "You can't just eat it," she said. "You cook them."

Link nodded. "Yeah. I found that out after. Some traveler told me. Tried to convince me he had the best recipe for hot-footed frogs."

"Did he?"

Link shrugged and smirked. "I'll make it for ya some time," he said. "Won't even tell you what it is."

Zelda turned her gaze away, looking out over Blatchery Plains. The area was still littered with inactive Guardians and it sent a chill up her spine. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "For making you go through all that."

"I've eaten worse," Link said casually.

Zelda turned and met his gaze. "I mean… for putting you in that shrine." She hesitated. "I thought… I thought it was the right thing to do. It was my only option." She bit her lip and turned away as the memories flooded back. "You would have died, Link. You would have… broken your promise."

"Princess!"

Link stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda's attention was turned towards the Sheikah soldier as he trotted up to her side. Link watched as they spoke to one another, but he could not hear their words. He watched Zelda, his heart pulling in his chest.

 _I'll never break my promise._


	7. Chapter 6

Link's horse moved forward purely out of habit and for the need to keep up with the others, no longer being commanded by her rider. Link paid no mind to the caravan as they moved forward once more, and without realizing it, he trailed behind, taking up the rear. His mind was on Zelda, her words echoing through his ears painfully. He had given her such a hard time about the damn shrine, seeing it as nothing more but the source of all his problems. He realized, then, that that was not the case. Zelda had not put him in there merely to fix a vital tool in the war. Whether he was dragged into this or not, Zelda only wanted him to live. She put her own life in danger simply to give him a chance.

Up until then, Link found himself wishing he had died that day. He thought it would have been a far better fate than the onslaught of memories that would follow when he woke. He stared out into Blatchery Plains, not realizing that his horse no longer moved forward. She grazed on the tall grass, moving between the inactive Guardians. He watched the scene play out before his eyes. The Guardians that surrounded them, his last stand, Zelda's awakened power. It all flooded back once more, and he watched himself give up in her arms as she called to him. He remembered the feeling of the darkness closing in around him, and how calm he felt in that moment, his pain washing away. He took his last breath, welcoming the darkness.

"Link."

He turned to the voice. The caravan was just moving beyond the walls of the fort, but Zelda and her horse stood before him. Her eyes were soft, her brows knit together in concern. She hesitated as she looked out over the plains, presumably seeing the same thing he saw.

"I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper. He averted his gaze in shame.

Zelda's brows knit together. "For what?"

"For giving up," he said. "For failing you."

"Link." She was quiet for a moment, watching him carefully.

He hesitated, then met her gaze.

"I know you think I don't understand," she started. She turned her gaze to the ground, hesitating, choosing her words carefully. "Maybe I don't," she continued, taking in a breath. "But I was there. I remember." She met his gaze. "I don't want you to look at me and see failure. I want you to see who I've become because of you. Someone a little more empathetic." She smiled. "Someone a little braver. A person who doesn't feel like they're against the world." She hesitated. "I want you to know... When I look at you, I see hope. I see safety. I see home. And if it takes you the rest of your life, I'll be here. Always. I will wait." She turned her gaze back out over the plains. "I may not understand how you feel, or the internal battle you face, but I'm here because of you. And now it's my turn to help you."

Link turned his gaze to Fort Hateno where the Sheikah soldiers waited. He didn't know how to respond to Zelda, but her words were comforting. And with her at his side, the world felt a little less dark. He hadn't seen it before, perhaps too engrossed in his own pain and fears, but he saw the light she offered to him now. Perhaps it wasn't too late for him to climb out of the hole he found himself in. And he didn't have to do it alone.

"How can you help me?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," Zelda said. "However I can. You tell me what I can do."

Link took up his reins once more and nudged his heels against his horse's sides. The mare's ears flicked back towards her rider and she stepped forward. Link smiled at Zelda over his shoulder as they passed. "Don't get killed by the Yiga Clan."

Zelda encouraged her horse into a trot until they were alongside Link. She smiled, but did not turn her gaze to him. "I don't plan on it."

"Thanks," he muttered. He meant it in response to what she had said before, and he had a feeling she understood.

Zelda moved her horse ahead slightly, turning him around and stopping Link for a moment. She narrowed her gaze on him. "And don't you for a second think you've failed." Her voice softened. "You could never fail me."

Link navigated his horse around Zelda and let a small smile tug at the corner of his lips. "Okay," he said simply. "I'll hold you to that."

Zelda let out a sigh through her nose and rolled her eyes. Together, they trotted through Fort Hateno's walls, catching up with the Sheikah army that accompanied them, and finished the trip into Hateno Village.

"You could have taken better care of it." Purah eyed the Sheikah slate carefully, turning it over in her hands. She peered up at Zelda and Link from behind the screen and a smile split her face.

Zelda raised her hands defensively. "Don't look at me," she said. She narrowed her eyes playfully at Link. "I got it that way."

Link smirked and shrugged. "I may have dropped it a few times."

Purah rolled her eyes, fitting for her still child-like form. "You best hope it still works as well as it did a hundred years ago," she said. "As much as I'd hate to look like my sister, I do need to figure out a way to reverse this aging process." She put the slate carefully on the table and turned her gaze to Link. "I hope you've taken better care of the sword than you have the slate."

"It cuts."

Purah let out a snort and rolled her eyes once more. She turned her gaze to Zelda. "Thank you for returning it. I hate to have to travel too far like this."

"Of course," Zelda said with an understanding smile, but Purah was focused on Link once more and already pestering him with questions.

"I'm sure you have a very busy schedule," she started. "But, should time allow it, would you consider returning to the shrine with me?"

Link blinked at her. Before he could answer, she was speaking again.

"I'd like to investigate it further, and you make a rather good test subject considering the circumstances. I bet now that the situation isn't so dire, we could -"

"Perhaps something to discuss when times allows us," Zelda interrupted, bringing relief for Link. "Rebuilding Hyrule is my number one priority."

"Right, right, of course," Purah said with a wave of her hand. "But should you find yourself feeling bored -"

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that," Link muttered.

Zelda pulled at Link's wrist. "We have a lot on our plate as it is."

Purah put her hands on her hips as Zelda dragged Link towards the door. "Leaving so soon?"

Zelda smiled apologetically to Purah. "Duty calls."

Purah rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Safe travels, Your Highness."

The Sheikah army waited for them outside the lab with their horses. Link muttered a quiet thanks to Zelda as they mounted their horses once more. They made their way through Hateno Village, into a trot through the fort, and finally back into Hyrule where they pushed their horses into a gallop.

It would take them two days before they reached the castle, stopping only when night fell to rest and eat. They eagerly set up camp for the night, the Sheikah talking and laughing amongst themselves while others stayed alert and on guard.

Link stayed loyally at Zelda's side through the night. To Zelda's relief, he seemed more eager to talk with her, and they chatted about nothing in particular. From time to time, he would share a story with her of his time in Hyrule after coming out of the Shrine of Resurrection. He told her about the mysterious shrines he had encountered, revealing to her that they would only open for him. He described the mysterious dragons that would fly high in the sky and of the Korok that resided in the Great Forest.

Zelda listened intently as he spoke, amazed by the secrets that the kingdom held. She realized, then, how little she truly knew of her own kingdom, and it only made her more anxious to study and explore as much as she could. Of course, her new role as Hyrule's Queen surely would not allow for such scholarly studies, as her father liked to say. But surely she could continue to question Link and learn everything she could learn from his own adventures.

At dawn, they were back in their saddles, making their way through Hyrule once more. They reached what was left of the outer walls of town and moved slowly through the front gates. Zelda was only realizing now how rough the town was, completely destroyed and in shambles. Inactive guardians were strewn throughout the torn up roads and scattered amongst destroyed shops and homes. The flags around the central square were torn and tattered, flapping sadly in the breeze. The once elegant fountain with Hyrule's crest was no more. Their world was utterly lifeless, and a sense of anxiety washed over Zelda.

Rebuilding Hyrule would have to start there, but the task seemed so daunting. Even more so, it was terrifying. Sickening. Countless lives were lost in these very walls, and though their corpses were long gone, the town was nothing more but a graveyard, now. Zelda couldn't fathom how she would be able to rebuild the town over the very lives that were lost there. But she couldn't let it succumb to being a graveyard, either.

Her face was pale as she looked over the remains of the town. She turned her gaze to Link as their horses picked their way over the rubble. She was now aware that he was watching her, concern written deep in his forehead.

"How can I possibly rebuild a kingdom that is nothing more than a graveyard?" she whispered. "So many lives were lost. I cannot simply build over them."

Link pulled his gaze away and said nothing. He didn't have an answer for her.

Zelda felt her anxiety spike as they neared the castle. She had been avoiding her return and she found herself wishing she didn't have to return at all. She had spent one hundred years locked away in a castle that was no longer her home. One hundred years keeping Calamity Ganon at bay, preventing him from further destroying Hyrule until Link returned. The castle was nothing more than a ghost that haunted her. She couldn't possibly take up the throne in the very place that almost killed her. It was all too surreal. A nightmare. None of it felt familiar, and she wanted desperately to turn around and return to Kakariko where it was safe and bright and comforting.

The horses continued to move forward, following the path up the hill and towards the castle. They didn't stop until they were beyond the castle gates and stood before the large steps that would bring them into the castle. Zelda looked up at the once elegant, stone structure, and her stomach knotted sickeningly.

She looked around her as the Sheikah soldiers dismounted their horses. Dorian was already barking orders at his men. The first order of business was to clear the inactive guardians and as much of the rubble as possible. He wasn't about to waste a second bringing Hyrule back to it's former glory.

Zelda felt a hand on her leg and looked down, meeting Link's gaze. He offered a hand to her and smiled softly. She let him guide her down onto the ground, realizing then that she was shaking, terrified to go into her own home. She turned her gaze back to the castle as the Sheikah soldiers moved about behind her. Link's strong hand grasped at hers, their fingers intertwining together, and she immediately felt at ease once more. She had been running from her duty for so long that it seemed impossible. But with Link at her side, the future seemed a little more possible.


	8. Chapter 7

Zelda and Link stepped carefully over the rubble inside the castle. Many of the elegant stained glass windows were shattered. The furniture was cracked and broken, strewn about the rooms. But otherwise, the interior of the castle was relatively intact. Though, it was not the home Zelda remembered it to be. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach and a chill shot up her spine. And even though the Sheikah soldiers had already swept through the castle, Zelda couldn't shake the fear that she would come across a monster's corpse, or worse…

The stone walls felt as if they were closing in around her. She couldn't stand to be inside any longer, so she made her way outside and followed the outer walk ways around the castle. The walk stretched over the courtyards and through the towers until she came to a familiar spot, just outside of her study. Down below in the courtyard, she had watched the Hylian soldiers interacting with the Guardians. She stood on the walk, staring at the closed, battered door that lead to her study. The last time she stood there, she had gotten into an argument with her father.

And now he was gone.

Her stomach churned sickeningly and she let her body rest on the stone wall. She gripped the edges as she steadied herself. She closed her eyes, but a single tear still rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly when she heard footsteps behind her, but did not turn her attention to Link.

Link leaned on the wall beside her, looking out over the courtyard. It was just below where he had seen one of the Guardians under the soldiers' control. Turned out he was right about those damned things all along.

"I can't stay here," Zelda said softly. She turned her gaze out towards Hyrule Field. "I don't want to be here. This castle is not my home."

Link shifted on his feet but said nothing.

"I don't know how to run a kingdom," Zelda continued. "I cannot be Hyrule's queen."

"If I can be a hero with no memory," Link started, "you can be a queen." He let a smile split his face. "You'd do a hell of a better job as queen than I did as some hero."

"I don't think you can compare being queen to being hero," she said quietly. "You put your life on the line every day. I sit behind the protection of stone walls." She turned her gaze to Link. "Besides, you don't give yourself enough credit."

Link straightened, folded his arms over his chest, and looked out over Hyrule, his brows furrowed together. "You don't give yourself enough credit," he said. "As I recall, you're the one that held Ganon back in order to prevent him from destroying the rest of the kingdom. You're the one that sealed him away and ended the war. You're the one the people look up to to lead them to a better future."

Zelda sighed. "No pressure."

Link smiled and turned his gaze back to her. "How hard can it be? All you have to do is where ridiculous dresses you can't breathe in, look pretty, and order people around."

Zelda blushed and averted her gaze. "It's a little more complex than that," she said. "Laws need to be written and enforced. Peace must be enforced and returned with the Zoras. Something will need to be done with the Divine Beasts to ensure they're kept in working order." She sucked in a breath before continuing. "We need an army. They need to be trained and prepared for whatever the future brings. The roads must remain safe for travelers to keep trade routes open. And then, of course, there's still the Yiga Clan that must be taken care of."

Link nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like complicated politics."

Zelda smiled slyly at him. "Would you like to trade?"

"I think you're more fit for that job than I am. My solution to anything would be to kill it."

Zelda laughed lightly.

"It seems like you have a pretty good grasp on this queen thing already," Link continued. "I wouldn't sell yourself short."

Zelda's serious expression returned and she looked towards the castle. "It just feels so surreal. Being here... it doesn't feel the same. There are too many memories."

"I guess you'll just have to make new memories, then. Better memories." Link shrugged. "Unless you really want to make the effort to build a new castle."

"No, of course not," Zelda said quickly. "No. You're right. I can adjust. I have to. Everyone else has adjusted to their lives. I should be expected to do the same." She turned her gaze back to Link. "I suppose, then, we should discuss the Yiga Clan."

Link's sigh was on the verge of a groan. He tilted his head as he looked at her. "Can't you give me a night off?"

Zelda smiled sheepishly at him. "I don't think the Yiga Clan would take a night off."

"There's nothing we can do about it at this moment," Link said. "It can wait until tomorrow."

Zelda knit her brows together. "Is that the attitude you had when saving Hyrule?"

Link turned his back to her and walked away from her. "If I was exhausted from a day of fighting monsters and riding around, then yes." He paused and glanced at her over his shoulder. "My brain is off for the day. Don't bother me until morning." And with that, he disappeared down the steps.

Zelda stared after him for a moment. Though his attitude seemed a less cold since their talk, she could see there was still pain in his eyes. She knew it wouldn't disappear over night, but she couldn't shake the feeling that a part of him still tried to avoid her and run from his problems. It was clear he had done a lot for her since they talked in an attempt to push through his suffering. It was only fair that Zelda let him be alone like he wanted. Still, she felt empty without him at his side. She needed to busy herself for the rest of the day or else she knew she would just wallow in her own pity.

She thought for a moment about all the things that would need to be done. The Yiga Clan aside, rebuilding Hyrule was her priority, which meant starting with Castle Town. The Guardians needed to be cleared and disposed of. Perhaps Robbie would know what to do with them. The rubble needed to be cleared so homes could be rebuilt. Perhaps there would be some people left in the kingdom willing to volunteer. Castle Town would be an ideal place to live now that life in the kingdom was so scattered. Surely the people would want to come together in the safety of the town's walls. And Hyrule needed an army, which meant asking for more volunteers. She felt awful having to ask so much of her people, but if they were willing, she would take all the help she could get.

The Guardians. The town. An army. Those were her three top priorities. Once those were taken care of, she could move her efforts throughout the rest of Hyrule. The rest of the Guardians would be cleared, the villages could be restored, and everything – hopefully – would fall into place from there. It would take time, but they had all the time in the world to bring Hyrule back to its former glory. And it all started with her.

Zelda made her way back through the castle, seeking out Dorian. She found him just outside of the castle gates speaking with one of his soldiers. He smiled to her and bowed his head as she approached, then dismissed the soldier that stood before him.

"Your Highness," he said. "Is everything alright inside the castle?"

"It's certainly not the home I remember it," Zelda said, looking up at the building. "But I will make a home out of it." She turned back to Dorian and smiled.

"That's the right attitude," he said.

"I was hoping to talk to you about the Guardians," Zelda continued.

"You don't waste a second," Dorian said. "We can discuss everything tomorrow. You should get some rest."

Zelda shook her head. "I cannot stand idly by when so much needs to be done. Besides." She hesitated and sucked in a quick breath. "I need to be busy or I'll go crazy."

"My men are gathering up the Guardians now," Dorian said. "Fortunately, there aren't too many of the larger ones in town. That will make our job a little easier."

Zelda nodded. "I wonder if Robbie has any idea of what to do with them?"

Dorian smiled. "It's my job to be two steps ahead of you," he said. "Robbie has indeed requested them for his research. They are Sheikah technology, after all. We have no plans to destroy them. Losing them to Ganon's power was an unfortunate outcome, but Robbie believes we can learn from them and further their technology and their usefulness. It is our job, after all, to keep Hyrule safe and appropriately defended, and we must take advantage of everything we're given to make that happen."

"I trust you and Robbie will take care of it, then," Zelda said. "Thank you."

"Once the Guardians are cleared," Dorian continued. "We will focus our efforts on rebuilding the town."

Zelda smiled. "I'd say you're quite the mind reader."

"You're so surprised? Have you forgotten how closely we worked with your father?"

"I should let you rule Hyrule, then."

Dorian smiled. "Everyone could use some help now and then. You most of all right now. We know what needs to be done." Dorian turned his gaze over the town. "Rebuilding will be a slow process. Once the Guardians are cleared, my men are splitting up to seek out any volunteers they can get. The more help we can get, the better. And it's likely they'll want to settle here and be closer to you. We'll also gather any volunteers we can get to help rebuild Hyrule's army." He turned to Zelda. "It will take time, but we will get there."

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Zelda said playfully.

"For starters," Dorian said. "If you want things done differently, then it is your responsibility to communicate that with me. Though, it is also my job to advise you to the best possible solution, and this is what I think will be best for the kingdom."

"I agree," Zelda said. "But there is still concern of the Yiga Clan."

Dorian nodded. "That there is," he said. "The sooner we have an army, the better. But I can assure you that I have men all over Hyrule tracking their whereabouts. Should they try to attack the castle, I will know about it before they can even step foot into Hyrule, and we are prepared to stop them at all costs."

"We need to do more than stop them," Zelda said. "They need to be eliminated."

"Our resources are limited right now," Dorian explained. "They are a large group and it will be difficult to eliminate them so quickly with so little help. My men are already spread thin; I won't thin them out any further. Protecting you is our number one priority. I won't take my chances sending my men away from here."

Zelda hesitated. "Perhaps there is something Link can do to help." She winced at the idea of dragging him into further fighting. But if he had already been to their hide out and defeated their leader, he may be the only one who could bring them down.

"Perhaps," Dorian agreed. "I'm sure he will want to be involved when the time comes."

Zelda hadn't even considered the idea that Link would want to be involved. He seemed so distant as it was, she was almost convinced he would not want to fight any more. But after the incident at Kakariko, she was starting to realize that she was wrong in her thinking. Perhaps, despite everything that had happened, Link would continue to fight. It was the kind of person he was, after all. She would need to speak with him about it soon. But for now, she would give him his space.


	9. Chapter 8

Zelda hadn't seen Link for the rest of the day. Though the castle was large, it was unlikely that he was hiding anywhere inside. Besides that, Zelda had spent most of the day roaming through each room, making note of the damages and trying to form a plan in her mind to restore it. And each room only brought an onslaught of memories with it, making it difficult for her to organize her own thoughts.

By the time night fell, Zelda was utterly exhausted. She had found her way to her old room, which was seemingly untouched by Ganon's forces. It seemed to be just the way she had left it so long ago. The dress that Camilla had fixed for her lay across her bed, ready to be worn. It was much more elegant than what she normally wore. A gift from her father, it was intended to be worn after the war with Ganon, assuming they were able to stop him before he was able to rise to power. A celebratory dress. One in which she would have worn when she stood at her father's side as he announced their victory. One she would have worn at a party held within the castle walls.

But none of those things had happened. And as a result, the dress sat on the bed, collecting dust over the years. There were even little holes around it from some critters that had gotten at it. The sight of the dress sent a chill up her spine and she pinched her lips together, blinking back tears. She wanted then, more than ever, for Camilla to walk through that door with a smile on her face. She wanted her handmaid to question her as she always did; how were her studies? How was she getting along with Link?

Zelda scooped the dress up in her arms. The dust and dirt made it look like nothing more than a simple dress. Even the shine to the jewels were suppressed. She tossed the dress against the chair on the other side of the room, then moved back towards her bed. She stripped off the blankets, bringing with it a coat of dust. She waved the dust away from her face, coughing lightly until it cleared. She let the blankets drop to a pile on the floor, then moved to gather what she hoped would be cleaner blankets. The blankets in the chest seemed to be better preserved, free of dust and dirt, and she spread them carelessly over the bed.

With a sigh, she climbed in and pulled the blankets over her shoulder. She blew out the single candle that lit the room and the darkness immediately swallowed her in. She settled into the bed and stared into the dark room. The world around her was silent. Not even the moon shone through her window. She closed her eyes and tried to think happier thoughts. She tried to convince herself that it was one hundred years ago and Camilla had just left her alone for the night. Her father was somewhere in the castle, likely mulling over some documents before he, too, turned in for the night. Somewhere in the barracks, perhaps Link was winding down from a day of training, grooming Epona in the stables, or scrounging the kitchen and annoying the cooks. It was just another night, and all was well.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, waking Zelda up with the warmth of its rays on her face. In the light of day, her room seemed a little less dark and drab, and she felt a renewed energy wash through her. She dressed quickly, then set to work tidying up her room. If she wanted to restore Hyrule, she had to first start with her own room. She tied her hair back behind her head and dressed in one of her simpler dresses, still hung where she had left it. She tied the loose ends back around her, allowing her to move freely and unrestricted as she set to work cleaning her room.

She gathered all of the blankets and dresses she could find, piling them in a corner to be washed. She took a rag to her furniture, polishing them and ridding them of the dust and dirt that had collected over the years. She wiped at the mirror until her reflection smiled back at her. She beat the rug outside until her arms ached, and she swept through the rest of the room, pushing the dust and dirt outside.

Without realizing it, she had worked through most of the morning, and it wasn't until midday when she finally left her room with an arm full of blankets and dresses. She could barely see above the pile, but she walked briskly through the castle to the wash room where she often found Camilla. She dropped the pile onto the floor and stared at the large, dusty buckets. It wasn't often that she had to wash her own things, but she certainly knew how. At least, it had to have been common sense.

She gathered up the buckets, dragging them across the room to the water supply at the other end. She filled the buckets with water, then proceeded to dunk in her blankets and dresses, one by one. She let them soak for a moment, then scrubbed at them until she was sure the filth was gone. She lifted them out of the buckets and hung them on the line to dry. When she was finished, she stood back with her hands on her hips and admired her work. It wasn't exactly what she expected to be doing as Hyrule's queen, but it kept her busy, and for that, she was grateful.

Her growling stomach then lead her into the kitchen. A few cupboard doors were opened, revealing to her that its contents were empty. A few dishes were shattered along the tables and floors, but otherwise – and except for the dust and dirt that seemed to fill every crevice – the kitchen seemed to have been untouched as well. That is, except for the severe lack of food. Zelda couldn't find a crumb anywhere except for a rock hard loaf of bread.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around and watched as Link dropped a bushel of fruits and vegetables onto the table. He smiled proudly at his find and met Zelda's gaze. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

"You know," he started. "I thought for sure you had already hired a new handmaid. I guess it was really you all along with an armful of blankets."

Zelda blushed and pulled her hair out of its pony tail. "Work needs to be done around here, you know," she said quickly, avoiding his gaze. But her growling stomach urged her to move towards the table where she peered into the bushel. She quickly grabbed one of the apples and took an eager bite. Link followed suit, and they chewed quietly for a moment until a man entered the kitchen with an armful of books. He almost dropped them when he caught sight of Zelda and he immediately bowed low.

"M-master Link," he started. "I didn't know the queen herself would be here."

Link shrugged, unfazed by the man's presence, and ignoring Zelda's confused stare.

"And who might you be?" she asked, narrowing her gaze at the man.

"G-Gotter, Your Highness. Master Link brought me here. Said you needed a cook, Your Highness." He straightened and lifted the books he carried as if to present them to her. "Your cookbooks, My Lady."

Zelda raised a brow. "My cookbooks?" She turned her gaze to Link, but he continued to ignore her. "How did you get those?"

"I gave them to him," Link said casually. He took another bite into his apple.

"You... what?"

"My ancestor used to be a cook here in the castle," Gotter said quickly. "I met Link some time back and he gave these to me. I would be honored to continue my ancestor's legacy as a cook in your kitchen."

"Alright," Zelda said simply. "I hope you're good."

"The best!" Gotter straightened further in confidence, his shoulders pulled back.

"Link would be the judge of that," Zelda said. "He's the castle's voluntary taste tester."

Link rolled his eyes and finished off his apple. "What can I say," he said. "I like a good cooked meal." He moved across the room, offering a wink to Gotter before he left.

Gotter set the cookbooks down on the table and peered at the fruits and vegetables. "I can't make much more than a stew with these things," he said.

"Well," Zelda started. "Where fresh out of everything else right now."

"Not to worry," Gotter said. "I can get my hands on some fresh meat."

"I'll leave you to it, then," Zelda said. She finished off her own apple, grabbed a handful of grapes from the bushel, and left Gotter alone in the kitchen.

She searched the castle for a moment, but Link seemed to have been long gone. The afternoon was still early, so she made her way outside where she found Dorian in the barracks.

"Good afternoon," Dorian said in greeting. He looked up from a book and smiled at the queen. "I wondered when I would see you. Keeping busy?"

Zelda untied her dress from her back with a nod. "This place is a mess," she said. "And Link's already bringing in stray."

Dorian looked up thoughtfully. "Yes, that Gotter fellow, isn't it? Claims he's the best cook in all of Hyrule."

Zelda smiled. "That's the one. He's already rearranging the kitchen."

"I've got hungry men," Dorian said. "After a long day of work, he will have his hands full."

"What's the status on the Guardians?"

"They've all been cleared," Dorian said. "The smaller ones have been loaded into wagons and are on their way to Robbie's lab as we speak. We're in the process of deconstructing the larger ones as best as we can, per Robbie's instructions. Those will be shipped out by this evening." Dorian flipped through some pages. "I've word that some builders are coming in from Hateno as well, and some men from Tarrey Town."

"Tarrey Town?" It wasn't a village Zelda was familiar with.

Dorian nodded. "It seems to be a new establishment that was built in Akkala over the last one hundred years. From what I've been told, it's home to Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, and Ritos."

Zelda had never heard of a place where various races lived together. Typically, they preferred to live in their respective villages.

"It seems the war has brought many people together," Dorian continued. "It's incredible how much they have prospered on their own all these years." He offered a smile to Zelda. "It should come as a relief to see how willing your people are to keep Hyrule standing, putting aside their own differences."

Zelda nodded. It was comforting, to say the least. She felt a renewed sense of hope for the kingdom. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Castle Town was restored along with the rest of the kingdom. Zelda was anxious to see it all come together.

"And what of an army?" she inquired.

"My men are still out collecting volunteers. I expect them to return within the week with whatever men they have mustered up. The builders should be here within the day, and hopefully any other volunteers they bring with them." Dorian closed his book and smiled at Zelda. "Things are coming together, just as I told you it would."

"Thank you, Dorian," Zelda said. "I am grateful for all your help."

"Anything for you, Queen Zelda."

As evening fell, Zelda watched as the last of the Guardians were loaded into wagons, each pulled by a pair of horses that would bring them across Hyrule at Robbie's request. She felt a sense of relief knowing that the castle and the town were free of the machines that had caused so much death and destruction. The air around her felt a little lighter, and she didn't feel as much as a stranger in her own home.


	10. Chapter 9

At the top of the far western tower, Link could see far and wide across Hyrule. It was a spot he often went to when he wanted to be alone, when he had the chance to be alone. When he wasn't following Princess Zelda around as her designated knight. When he wasn't a knight. When he wasn't even trained soldier. Back when he was a young boy, who admired the soldiers - his father most of all - from afar. And if he were lucky, he'd catch a glimpse of the young princess with the queen, jogging eagerly to her mother's side.

Zelda seemed so unlike her mother to Link. While her mother was lovely and kind, considerate and caring, Zelda seemed less gracious and elegant. She was bouncy and cheerful, curious and scholarly. Most of that changed after her mother's death, though from time to time, when she thought no one was looking, Link would see that cheerful personality emerge once more, especially when something intrigued her still curious mind.

She wasn't like that at all anymore. She was different now. She was sad. Serious. Worn. And her words were heavy on his mind. He wanted nothing more than for things to be like they were one hundred years ago. He wanted that for her most of all. It was what she deserved, but he was still afraid he could not do that for her. He supposed he was different, too. In fact, he knew it. He felt it. He saw it in Zelda's eyes. She was distant with him. Fearful. As if one wrong move would set him off. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes when he so ruthlessly killed the blade master in the village.

But that was what she didn't understand. What she would never understand. It was what he was trained to do. What their survival depended on. Was it really that surprising to her? He was more cautious before he was locked away in that shrine, but he couldn't afford to live that way when he awoke. Not when all of Hyrule depended on him. When Zelda depended on him. And with the Yiga Clan eager for their deaths, there would be no room for caution.

Perhaps he was just making excuses.

"Is there a reason you're hiding from me?"

He looked over his shoulder as Zelda approached him, but she didn't wait for a response.

"I could be attacked at any moment, you know," she said with her hands on her hips. "Some bodyguard you are."

"You underestimate the Sheikah soldiers," Link said, turning his gaze back out into the night. "They'd hear any enemy from a mile away."

"So, you're saying I'm safer with them?"

Link turned to face her, leaning against the wall. He opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but decided against it. Maybe she would be safer with them. Perhaps the Yiga Clan would be satisfied with defeating Link. It was he, after all, who defeated their own leader. Maybe they wouldn't go after Zelda at all. As long as he was with Zelda, Zelda would be in danger.

"Are you afraid of me?" His voice was soft and his brows knit together.

Zelda seemed taken aback by his question. Her mouth opened but she did not speak right away. "What? Why would you ask me that?"

Link shifted on his feet. He watched as Zelda took a step back.

"At Kakariko," he said, meeting her gaze. His expression hardened. "I did what I had to do."

"Of-of course," Zelda stammered. "I know." She pulled her eyes away from Link's gaze.

"I brought down that Calamity Ganon beast, yet it bothers you that I killed a Yiga blade master."

"It doesn't bother me," Zelda snapped defensively.

"He would have killed you."

"I know." Zelda hesitated, working up the courage to speak again. "I guess… I guess I forget. What you're capable of. It's what you were trained to do, of course. It's just… Calamity Ganon was different. Those Yiga soldiers… They're human. They were Sheikah soldiers once."

"They are our enemies," Link reminded her coldly. "They want us dead."

Zelda let out a breath. "I know."

"The whole time you were holding back Calamity Ganon, I was fighting. For my life, for you, for Hyrule. In war, it's kill or be killed."

Zelda bit her lip. She was making him angry again. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean -"

"I don't expect you to understand," Link snarled at her.

"I don't understand," Zelda said. She met Link's gaze. "I know I could never understand. I'm sorry, Link. I can't even begin to imagine what you had to endure. But… I want to understand. I want to help you."

"I don't need help," he barked. "I'm not some lost, hopeless soul waiting to die."

"Then what is it?" she shouted at him. "You're not the same person I remember. You're cold and angry and… rude!" She lowered her voice, pleading with him. "Help me understand."

"What do you want to understand?"

Zelda blinked at him for a moment. She hadn't expected that kind of response. "How… how you… how you do it. How you can just kill without remorse?"

Link was quiet for a moment. "It helps when you don't look them in the eyes. When you don't see them as human." He paused. "When they're… threatening the lives of the people you love."

Zelda turned her gaze to Hyrule. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Link sighed and lowered his gaze. "No," he started. "I'm sorry. You're right. Things are... different, now." He hesitated. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, okay?"

Zelda pinched her lips together but said nothing.

Link continued. "I know you want to help. But there's nothing you can do."

"Link," she said softly. "I know you're hurting." She paused. "I will do anything. There has to be something."

Link turned his gaze to her. "Like I said," he started with a shrug. "Don't get killed."

"Link..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'm trying," he said, his brows knit together. "I'm trying to be okay with everything that has happened." He averted his gaze. "But I'm not. None of this should have happened. It's -"

"It's not your fault," Zelda hissed. "You need to stop thinking that. None of it could have been avoided. There was nothing you can do."

"That's the problem," Link said. His gaze turned fierce as he looked out over Hyrule. "It was my job. There had to have been something I could have done. People died because I could not prevent what happened."

"Their deaths are not on you," Zelda said softly. "Daruk, Urbosa, Mipha, Revali... they could have run when they were attacked. They chose to stay and fight. That was their choice. They believed in you, and they fought to give you every chance you could."

"I never asked them to do that," Link hissed. "I would never ask anyone to give their life for me."

"I never asked you to give your life for me."

Link met her gaze. "It was kind of in the job description."

Zelda pulled her gaze away. "Right. Of course."

Link bit his lip. "Job or not," he started, "you know I would do anything for you."

"I don't want to lose you again, Link," she said quietly. "And I know I already am." She met his gaze. "I'm scared. I can't do this alone. And you can't do this alone. I don't want you to. We've been in this together for a long time. I don't want that to change."

Link said nothing for a moment. He turned his gaze back out to the horizon. "I don't want it to change, either," he said. "I'm doing everything I can. All I can promise you is that I will try." He sighed lightly. "Maybe someday it will get easier. But until that day comes -" He looked down as Zelda took his hand in her's, then looked up and met her gaze.

"You're not alone, Link," she said. "I will always be here."

Link straightened and pulled her closer to him. He moved his hands to her face and pressed his lips delicately against her's. "Promise?" he whispered against her.

Zelda's breath caught in her throat for a moment. She pulled away slightly at his question and looked into his eyes. "I promise." She wound her fingers in his shirt and pulled him towards her. Their lips met once more and Link's arms moved around her body, pulling her into him and deepening their kiss.

Under the light of the full moon, their kissing grew more passionate. They clung to each other, unwilling to part for fear it would be forever. Their lips moved against one another. Link pushed Zelda back into the shadows, against the outer wall of the tower, his body pressing against hers. Zelda's fingers moved through his hair, pulling him as close as she possibly could until suddenly, Link pulled away. His eyes searched her's for a moment, then he let his forehead rest against hers with a light sigh.

Zelda let her fingers brush against his cheeks. After a moment, Link's lips brushed against her face, moving down to her neck and shoulder gently. He wrapped his arms around her as he buried his face against her. Zelda pressed her face against him, holding him as close as she could. She made a silent promise she would never let him go.


	11. Chapter 10

It was just after noon the next day when people started to arrive to the castle. Hudson was the first to arrive, and Zelda greeted him and his men eagerly, learning of their efforts to build Tarrey Town. With them, they brought wagons full of materials, prepared to begin reconstruction of Castle Town immediately. With Zelda's approval and agreement to provide food and shelter, they set to work helping the Sheikah soldiers clear the rest of the debris and began construction.

With the construction of the town well underway, Zelda continued to busy herself in the castle, still awaiting the arrival of her new army. Gotter, the castle's one and only cook, took to helping Zelda tidy up the castle for most of the day before he turned to the kitchen to prepare meals for the men working in town. Despite Link's rebuttal, Gotter had ordered Link earlier in the day to gather more meat and other items. Link trudged through the kitchen that evening with Gotter's requested items, making sure to steal a fresh slice of bread for himself as payment.

In the evening, the men working in town found their way inside the castle and curiously into the kitchen, following their noses. Gotter fed them enthusiastically, and the men gathered around the table to laugh and drink. When they got too rowdy, Zelda glared at the from the doorway, and they bowed their heads and shrugged sheepishly.

"I feel like a mother to a bunch of oversized babies," Zelda muttered to Dorian. "They better clean up after themselves."

Dorian laughed. "I'll make sure they do, don't you worry."

Link made his way to Dorian's side, a chicken leg in his mouth. He turned his gaze between him and Zelda, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked him.

"I haven't eaten like this in a hundred years," Link said as he polished off the bone. "Give me a break."

There was a crash from the kitchen and a roar of laughter. Dorian turned his hesitant gaze to Zelda before taking a step back. "I'll fix it," he said quickly.

Zelda sighed and shook her head. "Don't let them take advantage of my hospitality," she called to Dorian as he hurried into the kitchen.

Link grinned and walked passed the queen. Zelda stared after him, her eyes narrowed. "And what trouble are you getting into?"

"Nothing at all," he said over his shoulder, and he disappeared down the hallway.

To Zelda's dismay, Link continued to bring in strays from around the kingdom. It seemed to Zelda that Link knew just about everyone in the kingdom. Despite her hesitance, she welcomed them into the safety of the castle, and quickly found herself warming up to their presence. There was Mezer, a butcher, who was eager to join Grotter in the kitchen, and Agus, a local farmer, who immediately set to work restoring the gardens where they could grow their own food. There was also Sagessa who proved to be knowledgable in creating elixirs and valuable as a nurse, tending to the men when they accidentally banged a hammer on their fingers. Garill proved to be an adequate historian, and he, too, eagerly took up his role in the castle, restoring the library to it's former glory and keeping excellent records of the one hundred years after Ganon's revival.

The new arrivals brought life into the castle once more, and Zelda felt less and less haunted by the memories that lurked in every corner. The castle felt a little brighter and more lively, and she felt a sense of routine being restored around her.

As the week came to a close, Zelda found that the construction of the town had moved quicker than she expected it to. Multiple structures had risen, seemingly over night. Though they were only the bare bones of homes and shops, it was a start. And with it brought even more travelers back into town, curious to see the rebuilding of the town. Many even stayed to offer their assistance, eager to move in themselves when construction was finished.

Early the following week, volunteers started to arrive to rebuild the royal army. Many of the men had been travelers most of their lives and had fended off more monsters than they could count. Even women showed up, just as eager and experienced as the men, and Zelda welcomed them all, thanking them for all they had done in keeping Hyrule safe.

Dorian and a few of his men agreed to help train their new army, and the barracks quickly filled with weapons and shields. Abled bodies worked day and night, learning everything they could from the Sheikah soldiers.

With all the help that had arrived over the week, Zelda found herself more at ease. Things were moving along just as planned, which only meant that she no longer had any way to busy herself within the castle. The cooks stayed busied feeding the new arrivals. Other people busied themselves outside in the fields, carefully tending to crops. A few women that came with their husbands who had volunteered to join the army eagerly took up jobs as Zelda's handmaids, tending to the chores in the castle. All of it was just as life was one hundred years ago, and though Zelda was happy to see life return to how she remembered it, it only meant that she was left to herself for most of the day, with nothing to do but overlook the duties spread across the castle and in town.

She stood on the balcony in the central room, looking through the tall windows at the town below, finding herself rather bored with her role as queen. She was sure she wouldn't be bored for too much longer as things progressed, but with nothing else to keep her busy in the castle, she wasn't sure how to spend her time. And there was only so much she could plan for Hyrule's future at that moment.

She listened to the footsteps that walked down the hallway; the familiar sound of boots on stone. But there was another sound with it that she did not recognize. A pitter-patter-like sound. At that moment, Link walked through the central room from the direction of the kitchen, biting happily into an apple. A stray dog trotted behind him, tail wagging.

"Are you taking in stray dogs now?" Zelda called after him as he moved across the room and down the next hallway. "As if the people weren't enough."

"His name is Bear," Link's voice said simply.

As the days progressed, Zelda took to busying herself in the barracks. While Dorian and his men trained the new army, Zelda found herself in one of the empty rooms where bokkens were leaning against the far side of the wall. She picked up one of the practice weapons and tried to recall the brief training she had with Impa back at Kakariko. If she wanted any chance to defend herself from the Yiga Clan, she would have to practice just as everyone else did.

She raised the bokken before her, imagining her enemy standing just out of her sword's reach. She positioned her body as best as she could, taking up the appropriate stance and stepping around her imaginary enemy. When her enemy raised his sword, she moved around quickly, striking at the air with a satisfied grunt. She imagined she had struck him, her sword slicing through his gut. It was easy enough to pretend, but she was sure it would not be that easy.

"So, that's why you had my sword?" Link asked from behind her. Zelda spun around in surprise. He had a smirk on his face, his arms crossed over his chest. He raised a brow at her. "Thought a few days of throwing it around would make you an expert swordsman?"

Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Of course not. I'll never compare to the Hero of Hyrule." She tossed the bokken in the air and caught it. "Just figured I could learn enough to put him in his place once in awhile." She smiled slyly at him, taunting him.

Link picked up the other bokken from against the wall. "Alright," he said, raising it before him. "I won't go easy on you."

Zelda narrowed her eyes playfully at him. "Good." She stepped forward, making the first move. Though she did not put a lot of effort into her attack, Link was quick to block her, pushing back forcefully. She knew if she would have any chance at making him even break a sweat, she would need to take advantage of her smaller size and focus on her defense. She found enough strength to push his sword aside, leaping out of the way as soon as his stance broke, but Link was quick to regain himself, spinning around to block her next attack. He smiled teasingly down at her.

"You're thinking too much," he said. "I can see you trying to make a plan."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zelda said in her best attempt to seem confident.

Link scoffed. "Not a clue." He wasn't about to make this fight last; just long enough for her to think she was doing well. He pushed her backwards with his sword. When she stumbled just slightly, he moved in quickly, filling the space between them with his weapon raised. It came down hard against Zelda's, catching Link by surprise as she pushed back against him.

"Admit it," she said with a grin. "I'm quicker than you thought I would be."

"You're clumsy," Link said. He moved his sword around, breaking her stance, and lurched backwards as she jumped forward. He took advantage of her missed attack, thrusting the wooden sword at her just as she spun around, but this time, he pressed against her harder, pushing her backwards until her back met the wall.

"Not fair," she grunted. "You're stronger."

"And you think a blade master won't be?"

Zelda blew her loose bangs out of her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "I'll at least put you on your ass."

Link laughed. "Unlikely. I won." He let up and stepped back, twirling the sword in his hands. "Better luck next time."

But Zelda wasn't ready to admit defeat, and his guard was down, leaving the perfect opportunity to sneak in one last attack. And though he was still able to block her attack, it was enough to send him stumbling backwards. Zelda, however, had lost her footing as he stumbled and she fell against him. They both fell onto the floor and Link lost his grip on his bokken. It clattered to the floor as they fell. Zelda brought hers up quickly and let it rest lightly against his neck as she leaned over him, pinning him to the floor.

"You let your guard down," she said with a grin. "I win."

Link narrowed his gaze on her. "Ha. I let you win."

"And you think a blade master will let you win?" she said with a teasing grin.

Link pushed her weapon away and sat up. His face was inches from Zelda as she continued to straddle him.

Zelda's breath caught in her throat as Link's gaze found hers. His eyes seemed softer now, unlike how they had been over the last few weeks. He was wrong, what he said when they were on the tower; she didn't fear him. Not in the slightest. She feared only a life without him.

"Zelda." His breath was warm against her face.

Her heart fluttered in her chest. "Yes?"

"Your Highness!"

Zelda jumped back suddenly and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes moved to the doorway as Paya bowed her head to her.

"Paya," Zelda said breathless. "What... what are you doing here?"

Paya straightened and smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.

"N-no," Zelda stammered. "Not at all."

"I figured you could use some help around here," Paya said. Her cheeks blushed slightly when she turned her gaze to Link as he got to his feet. "Master Link." She bowed her head to him before turning back to Zelda. "A queen needs an advisor, after all, and Grandmother said I'd be perfect for the job. If you'd have me, of course."

"Of course," Zelda said quickly, offering a warm smile. "I could certainly use the help of a friend around here."

"I would be honored," Paya said, bowing her head once more. "I won't linger," she continued hesitant, her gaze returning to Link. "But I'm here if you need me." Again she bowed, then disappeared down the hallway.

Zelda let out a breath and turned away from Link quickly, suddenly feeling shy. She picked up the bokken and returned it to its place against the wall. "I guess I have some more practicing to do," she said as casually as she could. When Link didn't respond, she turned around and met his gaze. His arms were crossed once more, a smirk on his face and a brow raised.

Zelda hesitated. "What?"

"Nothing," he said simply, turning away from her. He moved to the door, taking out the Master Sword in the process and spinning it around in one hand, as if to show off. Without another word, he made his way outside.


	12. Chapter 11

Zelda and Link stood along the walk, looking down into the barracks courtyard where their volunteer army continued to train, seemingly oblivious to their presence. Paya trailed behind them, staying close to her queen as much as possible, should she need her assistance. She observed Zelda and Link quietly as they spoke.

"Well?" Zelda said. "What do you think?"

Link looked down at the men below. They were a scraggly bunch, if he were being completely honest. He turned to Zelda and raised a brow. "They'll do."

"We can't all be worthy of the Master Sword," Zelda said. "And we can't exactly be choosey, either. We need an army, and these men have all volunteered to be under your command."

Link turned his gaze to her, his brows furrowed together. "Oh, so that's how you lured them here?" Link said. "I don't exactly remember signing up to be in charge of them."

"Don't worry," Zelda said, turning her gaze back on their newly appointed soldiers. "I signed you up."

Link sighed. "I have more pressing matters to deal with," he said. "Like dealing with the Yiga Clan. I can't be in command of an entire army, never mind train them."

"The Sheikah are capable of training them," Zelda said.

Link hesitated as he looked them over. "Look," he started. "I'm a one man show. I don't lead armies. I can't ask them to put their own lives on the line."

Zelda turned to Link and smiled. "Then I guess you better take out the Yiga Clan swiftly," she said.

"Of course," Link said, crossing his arms. "It's okay for me to put my own life on the line."

"I knew I could count on you," Zelda said with a grin.

"It never occurred to you to ask me if this is what I wanted?"

Zelda hesitated. "Dorian will be going back to Kakariko soon," she said. "Who else can I ask to command our new army? You know my father would have asked this of you."

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "I work better alone," he muttered. "I don't want to be responsible for them."

"So, who else should I ask?" Zelda asked, narrowing her gaze angrily on him. "There's no one else."

"Find someone else. I have other things to focus my energy on."

"Listen," Zelda hissed. "I expect the same treatment as you gave my father. Would you have disobeyed an order from him?"

Link cocked a brow at her. "So, you're ordering me around, now? That's how this is going to work?"

"I am Hyrule's Queen," Zelda said. "I expect my orders to be followed, whether you like it or not. You don't get any special treatment."

"You'd think a hero could catch a break around here," Link muttered.

At this point, Link noticed a few eyes had turned up to them. The men below seemed to gawk at Link, their eyes moving to the legendary sword on his back. Irritated, he turned away from them and stormed away from Zelda.

Zelda sighed and moved away from the edge of the walk. She walked in the opposite direction of Link, and Paya trotted to her side.

"Give him a break," Paya said calmly. "I'm sure he will come around."

Zelda shook her head. "I know him too well," she said. "He is a stubborn, arrogant ass. He's going to try to do what he wants, whether I like it or not."

"He only has your best interests in mind," Paya said.

"That's what I'm worried about," Zelda said softly.

Link was fuming as he moved through the castle. He wasn't sure where he was going; he just knew he wanted to be far away from that army as possible. He wanted nothing to do with them. How could Zelda expect him to be in charge of them – of their lives – after everything else he's had to endure? He thought Zelda would have understood that. Clearly he was mistaken, and that only made him more frustrated with the situation.

He looked up only when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He had almost walked right into Dorian. The Sheikah's face showed concern as he looked down at Link, who's lips were now tugged into a snarl.

"What's got you?" Dorian said.

Link pulled his shoulder out from under Dorian's grip. "Nothing."

"The brooding thing isn't fitting for you, Link," Dorian said simply. "I expect a better attitude from the captain of the royal army."

"Good thing I'm not a captain, then," Link muttered.

"This army will need a leader," Dorian said, his voice growing harder. "I've done all that I can here. But my duty is with Impa at Kakariko, and I will be returning shortly."

"You know what?" Link started. "I'm sick of people just assuming I'll do whatever they want."

"The thing is," Dorian said. "You have a duty to this kingdom, to Zelda, just as you had a duty to King Roham. Nothing has changed in that regard."

"My duty," Link hissed, "was to defeat Calamity Ganon. My job is done."

Dorian raised a brow at Link. "If that's how you really feel," he started, "then the queen and this kingdom no longer have a use for you, and you have no right to be here in the castle."

Link hesitated and met Dorian's hard gaze. "Zelda -"

"Zelda is nothing to you any more," Dorian snapped. "If you give up your duty to her and to this kingdom, then you are no longer responsible for her. You will have no place in this castle. Zelda will be nothing more to you than your queen."

Link narrowed his gaze on Dorian. "I won't leave Zelda alone."

"Then I guess you better get used to your new role as captain, hm?" Dorian let his gaze linger on Link's for a moment before turning his back to him, leaving him alone in the central room of the castle.

Link stared after Dorian for a moment, his gaze softening. He wanted nothing to do with the army. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone's life any longer. He only wanted to do what he had to do to keep Zelda safe, which meant getting rid of the Yiga Clan once and for all. And he was going to do it himself, on his own terms. No one was going to tell him what to do.

He turned his gaze to the quiet pitter-patter of feet that moved towards him. Bear sat at his side, looking up at his master, his tail wagging. Link crouched down and scratched behind the dog's ears. His fur felt damp. "Don't you think they're asking too much?" Link said to the dog.

The dog tilted his head and let out a soft whine. He licked at Link's face before trotting away, down the hallway on the other side and into the kitchen to search for some scraps. Link stared after the dog, getting to his feet. He moved in the direction that Dorian had headed, presumably to the barracks. Whether he liked it or not, if he wanted to stay with Zelda, he would have to take up his new role as captain.

He found Dorian standing before Hyrule's new soldiers, their gazes turned to him the moment he rounded the corner. They whispered amongst each other and Dorian turned towards Link.

"Have a change of heart?"

Link stood uncomfortably on the edge of the courtyard as each one of the volunteer soldiers got to their knees, bowing to him. They looked upon him with admiration and stole glances at the legendary sword on his back. They muttered softly amongst themselves, many recognizing him from their own travels.

"So, it's true," one man said.

"That was the sword the whole time?"

"This kid…"

"The Hero is alive."

They slowly rose to their feet, peering curiously at the legend that stood before their very eyes. Link tried his best to ignore their stares, moving to Dorian's side and crossing his arms.

"I trust your captain will take good care of you," Dorian said, addressing the soldiers.

But it seemed they couldn't have cared less what Dorian had to say. "Can we see it?" one of the men asked. "The sword?"

The others murmured in agreement.

Link blinked at them for a moment, unsure of what to make of the situation he had put himself in. Then, with a shrug, he pulled out the Master Sword. They stepped back as he did so, their mouths gaping as their eyes fell onto the sword.

"I've heard it speaks. Is it true?"

"She's been quiet lately," Link said casually.

"She?"

"Her name is Fi."

They murmured once more for a moment. "What does she say?"

"She complains a lot," Link said with a grin. "'How can Hyrule depend on such a lazy boy?'"

They stared blankly at him.

Link returned the sword. "No sense of humor," he muttered. And he was in no mood for their questioning. So he turned his back to them and disappeared back inside the castle walls without another word.

Dorian sighed lightly, his gaze on the open book in his hands as he reviewed his own notes, disinterested in Link's exit. "Your captain, gentlemen," he said casually. "May Hylia bless you with patience, hm?"


	13. Chapter 12

Link avoided Zelda the rest of the day. She didn't see him again until the following morning. He was in the stables, grooming his horse. He threw on the saddle as Zelda entered.

"Running away again?" Zelda asked.

Link narrowed his gaze on her for a moment, then his expression softened. "Come on," he said simply. He turned his back to her and grabbed two sets of bridles. He handed one to her, then proceeded to finish tacking his mare.

Zelda hesitated, her gaze on the bridle, then moved across the stables to grab her horse. They saddled in silence, leading their horses outside where they mounted up and trotted away from the castle.

Zelda took the opportunity to admire the construction of Castle Town as they moved through. The cobbled streets had been fixed, and various structures were near completion. The workers milled about, their voices filling the air as they shouted to one another over the sounds of tools hard at work. When Link and Zelda passed, they bowed their heads with proud grins on their faces.

The walls of the town had been rebuilt, as well as the front gate, and it was opened, allowing for travelers and merchants to enter in and out with supplies. They rode through the gate and into a gallop over Hyrule field. Zelda said nothing as they rode and simply followed Link until he slowed his horse. They stopped atop Whistling Hill where Link dismounted, allowing his horse to graze on the lush, green grass. Zelda followed suit, dismounting and standing beside Link. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he looked out over Hyrule.

"I'm sorry," Zelda said quickly, breaking the silence. "I never should have volunteered you to be captain." She hesitated, turning her gaze to the ground. "It was selfish of me not to consider how you would feel about it. I'm sorry."

Link said nothing for a moment. The sun was high in the sky now and he watched the clouds drift lazily by in the breeze. Finally, he shrugged, his demeanor changing slightly. "You're right," he said casually. "I'm the only one that can do it." He let a smirk tug at his lips.

"You don't have to do it," Zelda said softly. She turned her gaze to him.

"Oh, I have a choice, now?" Link cocked a brow at her. "It's not an order?"

Zelda grit her teeth together and turned away from him. "You know damn well that if you were anyone else, you would not be able to get away with that." She huffed. "I shouldn't even let you get away with it."

Link folded his arms over his chest and grinned. Feeling satisfied that he had teased her enough, he bowed to her dramatically. "Your wish is my command, Your Highness."

"Stop it," Zelda hissed. "It's your choice." She turned her hard gaze onto him. "And for the record, it's the only choice you're getting. I expect you to run everything by me before you make any stupid moves. And what I say goes."

"Those are some high demands," Link said. He shrugged a shoulder. "Fine. I accept my role as head captain."

Zelda's gaze softened. "What changed your mind?"

Link hesitated and pulled his gaze away from her. "Figured I had nothing else going on," he said quietly. "Can't hang around the castle all day eating all your food."

Zelda smiled. "It's not enough that you saved all of Hyrule."

"Clearly."

They fell silent again for a moment. Zelda found herself searching for something more to say. She didn't want to chance upsetting him more, and thought it best to avoid any topic that had to do with their current situation. That left only the past to think about; a past long before they even thought to prepare for Calamity Ganon. A past before they really even knew each other.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Zelda asked softly.

A smile crept onto Link's face. "Yeah."

"It was the night after my mother died." Zelda turned her gaze to the castle. It stood tall against the blue sky, and the town below seemed some how more lively with the erection of new buildings. "I didn't really understand much of it then," she continued. "I wanted to run away from it all." She smiled slightly. "A hard thing to do when you're Hyrule's princess."

Link looked out over the horizon quietly as Zelda spoke.

"I thought I hid myself pretty well until you found me," she said.

"You were in my favorite hiding spot."

Zelda nodded.

"You weren't very happy to see me," he continued.

Zelda laughed lightly. "No, I guess I wasn't." She sighed. "But you let me stay."

"I knew better than to piss off the princess."

Zelda turned her gaze to him. "I didn't see you again after that. Not until years later."

Link was quiet for a moment. "That was the night I found the Master Sword." He turned to meet Zelda's gaze. "When I… heard it." He turned his gaze away again. "When the Chosen Hero emerges, they don't waste a second preparing him for his destiny, no matter how young he is."

"I knew it was you when I saw you in the barracks," she said. "I remember thinking that you were the jerk that wouldn't leave me alone." She grinned up at him.

"So, that's why you hated me so much?"

Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Maybe. One of the many reasons."

"Many?"

Zelda shrugged. Her voice raised as if it the statement were an obvious one. "I don't hate you anymore."

Link smiled slyly and turned his gaze away. "I hadn't noticed."

"Don't get sarcastic with me," she muttered. "You know very well that I don't."

Link peeked at her from the corner of his eyes. "I do?"

"You should." Zelda let out a breath. "For the love of Hylia, if I hated you, I sure as hell wouldn't have put you in that damn shrine."

Link smiled and looked back out over Hyrule. "I guess you have a point," he said. He was quiet for a moment. "For what it's worth, I don't hate you, either."

Zelda scoffed. "You never hated me."

Link shrugged. "Maybe. I had no reason to. But now I really don't hate you."

Zelda turned to him, hesitant. "How much do you really not hate me?" she asked softly.

Link met her gaze, his brows knit together as he thought about this, and a smile spread across his face. "I really, really, really don't hate you."

Zelda blushed and returned his smile. "I really, really, really don't hate you, too."

"That," Link started, "feels like the right way to put things." Of course, he was being sarcastic again.

Zelda laughed lightly and turned away from him. "I suppose," she said simply. Her eyes scanned the horizon, as if searching for some interpretation that Link did not offer her. That is, until his hands pulled at her, bringing her towards him. Before she could react, his lips found hers and he pressed himself against her. Zelda let her own lips moved against his, relaxing in his arms. She moved her hands to his warm cheeks, her breath caught in her throat for a moment. After a moment, she pulled away slightly. She closed her eyes in an attempt to sort through all the thoughts and emotions that seemed to be flying wildly through her brain and body.

"Tell me what you mean," she started softly, "when you say you really, really, really don't hate me." She turned her eyes up to meet his soft gaze.

"I think the statement stands for itself," Link whispered against her. "I really, really, really don't hate you."

Zelda's brows knit together. "You," she breathed, "are the most stubborn, arrogant, impos-" Her thoughts were cut short as Link's lips met her's once more. His arms tightened around her as he deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling away again.

"You should know all about being stubborn," he said. "I love you, Zelda," he finally breathed. "If you don't know that by -"

This time it was Zelda that cut him off, pulling him into her kiss. "Shut up," she said against his lips. Link's lips moved against hers for a moment more before Zelda pulled away enough to speak. "I love you."

The horses nickered and snorted softly as they continued to graze nearby, but Link and Zelda didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in each other's arms to care about anything around them. Calamity Ganon could have risen once more, and they would have let Hyrule fall to disarray around them until they were the only ones standing. The world could have come to an end, but it didn't matter to them, as long as they had each other.


	14. Chapter 13

It was dusk when they finally returned to the castle. The construction of the city had stopped for the night and except for a few wandering bodies, the city and castle grounds were seemingly lifeless. Link and Zelda dismounted their horses when they reached the stables and unsaddled them for the night.

"Thank you for today," Zelda said as they walked into the castle. "It felt nice to be out in Hyrule again. Kind of like how it used to be. When things seemed simpler." She sighed lightly. "I have a feeling we won't be able to have days like this for much longer."

"You're the queen of Hyrule," Link reminded her. "You can do whatever you want."

"I don't think I'll be able to run away from the castle for days at a time," she said.

Link shrugged. "I won't tell."

They stopped in the central room and Zelda smiled. "Okay," she said softly. She averted her gaze slightly. "You're not about to let me walk to my room alone, are you?"

"Afraid the Yiga Clan will jump out of the shadows?" Link said with a smirk.

"You can never be too careful," Zelda said as she stepped away from him. She strode across the room and smiled when she heard Link follow her. He trotted to her side without a word, escorting her down the castle corridors towards her room.

"Just like old times, hm?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Don't get used to it," he said. "Thanks to you, I have an army to run."

"That's true," Zelda said with a nod. She cocked her head slightly, turning her eyes to Link. "I guess I won't be seeing you much." She smiled. "Gotter will appreciate your new busy schedule."

"Oh, I've made sure to schedule him into my days," Link said with a grin. "Someone needs to oversee the kitchen."

Zelda laughed. "Right, because he can't handle it."

"It's not easy doing so many jobs," he said. "But somehow, I manage."

"Thank the Goddesses. I don't know what we'd do without you." Zelda smirked at him as she stopped in front of her door.

"I guess this is where I bid you goodnight, My Lady," Link said, bowing his head to her.

Zelda turned her gaze to her feet for a moment. "Or," she started softly. "You could come in." She stole a glance at Link but could not read him.

"I suppose I could," he finally answered. "If that's what -"

Zelda grabbed his shirt, pulling him in towards her. She pressed her lips against his, cutting him off mid sentence.

Link let his lips linger against hers for a moment before pulling away, hesitant. "Are you sure about this?"

Zelda pursed her lips together. "Do you... not want to?"

"No," Link breathed. "I mean. I do. But -"

Zelda cut him off once more. She muttered against his lips. "You think too much."

Link smiled into their kiss and pressed his body against hers. Zelda fumbled to open the door as she deepened their kiss and they stumbled into her room when it opened. Their kissing grew fiery as Zelda pulled at Link's shirt. He pulled his shirt over him and let it fall to the floor as they moved across the room. Pieces of clothing dropped one by one until they fell against the bed, their bodies pressed together in the heat of their passion. Their sense of touch replaced their poor vision in the dark of night; fingers traced and wandered along each other's bodies, trailing goosebumps in their wake.

Zelda shuttered under Link's touch and sighed into his neck. She pressed her lips against his skin tenderly and closed her eyes. In that moment, everything felt right in the world.

Zelda squinted through closed eyelids as the morning sunlight streamed through her window and onto her face. She turned over with a light groan before opening her eyes to the empty space on the bed beside her. The blankets had been thrown back and were tangled between her bare legs. She blinked at the wall before turning back to her other side where she saw Link standing in the light that pooled through the window. He was looking over his shoulder at her and smiled as she straighted in bed, pulling the blanket with her to cover her bare breasts.

"Good morning," she said softly, averting her gaze quickly when her eyes fell onto his bare chest. She felt silly for blushing at his appearance after what they had just done the night before. She turned her gaze back to him for a moment, but before she could open her mouth to speak, there was a knock on the door that caused her to jump.

"Queen Zelda?" Paya's voice came through the door. "Are you up yet?"

Link's eyes were cast to the door casually, but Zelda leapt out of the bed and flew across the room to where her robe lay draped over a chair. She threw it over her shoulders and pulled it across her naked body as she called to Paya.

"Uh, yes, I am. Just... just a minute!"

With the robe secure, she flew towards the door, pushing Link backwards with both hands in the process, making sure he was out of sight from anyone standing near the door. She opened the door slightly, making sure to keep the contents of her bedroom hidden from any onlookers, and smiled to Paya. "Good morning."

Paya's face was blank for a moment, her eyes curious as she peered at Zelda, then over her shoulder and into the room. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course," Zelda said quickly. "What can I help you with?"

"Right," Paya said. "Actually, I just wanted to bring you this." She held a dress up in her arms. "Your handmaids were able to fix some of the tears and make adjustments to it. They thought you might want to have it, seeing as it was a gift from your father."

Zelda looked down and the dress and smiled. "That's so considerate. Thank you for bringing it to me. I must thank them when I see them today." She took the dress carefully from Paya's arms and the door opened further. Paya again peered over Zelda's shoulder, her expression puzzled by the clothing that seemed strewn across the floor.

"Are those... men's boots?"

Zelda looked over her shoulder quickly, but Link appeared suddenly behind her. He grinned over her shoulder at Paya.

"Morning."

Paya's face turned red. Her eyes trailed down Link's bare chest, then quickly away as she covered her face with her hands, stuttering. "What on – what? M-master Link. You're... not wearing... a shirt!"

Link looked down at himself as if surprised by this fact. "Oh." He turned away and proceeded to finish dressing. Zelda let out an exasperated sigh as she closed the door further. She turned to Paya sheepishly, who was still fumbling for her words.

"I didn't mean to... I didn't know... I..."

"It's fine, Paya," Zelda said quickly, then hesitated. "Don't... say anything."

"Of course not," Paya said. "You have my word, Your Highness."

Zelda offered her a smile. "I'll see you in a bit." Paya bowed her head and Zelda closed the door, then turned to glare angrily at Link. "Was that necessary?" she hissed at him.

Link sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his boots, not meeting her gaze. "What?" he said defensively.

"I don't need the entire kingdom knowing my business."

Link rolled his eyes and stood. "It was just Paya."

"She doesn't need to know, either," Zelda said, crossing her arms.

"I didn't realize this was some big secret."

"Well, it is."

Link cocked a brow at her and met her gaze. "Why does it have to be?"

Zelda pulled her robe tighter and turned away. "I don't know," she said. "Because. I have more important things to be doing. I can't be seen sleeping around with random men."

"Random men?" Link put his hand on his chest as if was hurt by her statement, but he grinned at her. "Is that what I am?"

"You know what I mean," Zelda muttered.

"Fine," he said. "But for what it's worth, it hasn't been a secret for the last hundred years."

Zelda stared after him as he moved to the doorway. Link opened the door carefully, making sure to do so in the most mocking manner he could manage, peered around the corner, then tip-toed out, turning over his shoulder to wink at her before closing the door and leaving her alone in the room.

"That arrogant – ugh!" Zelda shouted at the door. "What is that supposed to mean?" She stormed across the room, throwing her robe off of her and onto the bed. She dressed quickly, still fuming as she struggled to tighten the back of the dress herself. She was certain Paya would steer her handmaids clear of her room, so she was on her own to dress herself in what was becoming clearly a two person job. She sighed when she finished; the dress wasn't nearly as tight as it should have been, but it would do until she could find someone to finish the rest of it for her.

She turned to the door, but as she did so, something on her desk caught her eye. It was the old journal she used to keep all those years ago. She had essentially ignored it since she returned to the castle. It had gotten moved about over the last couple of weeks as Zelda cleaned and straightened up her room, and now it sat on the wooden desk, a bit of dust still on the cover.

Zelda moved to the desk and sat, staring at the journal for a moment before opening it. She flipped through its pages casually, recognizing her own handwriting from the days before Calamity Ganon's attack. She stopped on one of the pages and read its contents.

 _Bit by bit, I've gotten Link to open up to me. It turns out he's quite a glutton. He can't resist a delicious meal! When I finally got around to asking why he's so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden. A feeling I know all too well. For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings. I always believed him to be simply a gifted person who had never faced a day of hardship. How wrong I was. Everyone has struggles that go unseen by the world. I was so absorbed with my own problems, I failed to see his. I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly. And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years._

Zelda smiled to herself. Her fingers ran over the aged page, tracing over her own words. She recalled their late night talks, their early morning rides, the way he always seemed to be eating something.

She turned a few more pages, stopping on the last entry she had ever written.

 _I turned 17 today. That means this is the day I will finally be allowed to train at the Spring of Wisdom. When Link arrives, we will set out for Mount Lanayru. The other Champions will accompany us there. I have not seen my father since he last scolded me. Things are too strained now… I will meet with him when I return. Actually… I've had a horrible feeling ever since that weird dream. No one would believe a failure of a princess, but… right now, for no particular reason, I am filled with a strange and terrible certainty that something awful is about to happen._

A chill ran up her spine as her eyes ran over the last sentence. If only she had taken her feeling more seriously. Perhaps, then, there would have been something she could have done sooner. Something to prevent all that had happened and save the lives of so many. A painful lump formed in her throat and she turned to the next, blank page. She stared at the page, debating whether to put pen to paper. She wasn't sure how she could possibly express everything she felt in that moment. The pain of the memories seemed still fresh, and yet... she couldn't help but to wonder how things would have turned out if the war had gone differently. Would she and Link ever become as close as they were now?

No. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that their feelings for one another would have changed. But then, surely her father, if he had lived, would have had much to say about their relationship. She imagined it would have been a great deal more difficult, to say the least. She smiled as she imagined her father's reaction. She was certain he would have been furious.

But then again... Link's words before he left lingered in her mind. Perhaps the entire kingdom was more aware of their feelings than even she was.

Her hair fell over her face as she leaned over the blank page and she began to write.


	15. Chapter 14

Zelda found herself wandering the walkways around the castle until she found herself looking over the barracks. To her surprise, Link stood beside Dorian overlooking the soldiers as they trained. Dorian turned to Link and spoke to him, but Zelda could not tell what they were saying from across the way. Link grinned and nodded in response.

She sighed lightly and continued on her way. While she was glad that Link had accepted the job she asked of him, she couldn't help but to admit she felt lonely without him at her side as she had been so used to over the couple of months.

It was surreal to her that they had been at the castle for just over a moth. As she continued to wander along the outer walks, she moved to the front of the castle overlooking the newly built city. Construction was nearing completion and travelers were starting to come in from far across Hyrule to make a new life for themselves under her watch. She knew Dorian would be leaving within the next few days, and it was up to her to focus her efforts on ruling the kingdom like her father had once done.

Still, there was the problem of the Yiga Clan. They had been quiet since they're attack on Kakariko, and that disturbed Zelda. She had received no word from the Sheikah that were scouting the kingdom, which she supposed was a good thing... unless they were killed before returning to her.

She pushed the thought aside and returned inside the castle. She wandered the hallways until she found Paya in the central room speaking with a Sheikah soldier. They both looked towards her as she approached and bowed their heads.

"Any word on the Yiga Clan?" she asked anxiously.

The Sheikah soldier shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Grace," he said. "There's been no trace of them."

Zelda's brows knit together. "How can that be? We know we're their hideout is."

"The hideout has seemingly been abandoned," he explained to her. "Since it was found by Link, it is likely they've made their headquarters elsewhere. I just came back from a stakeout there myself and there has been no activity."

Zelda tried her best to hold in her frustration, but it escaped her nonetheless in the form of a heavy sigh. "Alright," she said simply.

"There has been no other word from any of our other posts," he continued. "We'll be able to expand our search within the next few days per Dorian's orders." He bowed to her once more before excusing himself to return to the barracks.

"The castle is heavily guarded," Paya assured her, sensing her unease. "No member of the Yiga Clan will be able to get to you."

But that was least of Zelda's concerns. As long as they were still at large, they posed a threat to the entire kingdom, and to Link. She was sure their motives were to get their revenge for the defeat of Calamity Ganon. They were ruthless; they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

"Don't give Link any details of the Yiga Clan," Zelda said.

Paya's brows furrowed together. "He's the captain of your army, Your Highness."

"You know as well as I do that he'll try to take matters into his own hands."

"I suppose he can be compulsive at times," Paya started. "But if you ask me, he has too much at stake, and he knows it. He won't lose to them because he can't lose to them, not without losing you, too. And he's gotta be around to protect you, right?" She offered a smile and a shrug with one shoulder, blushing slightly.

Zelda hesitated before asking Paya the question that had been on her mind since that morning. "Tell me the truth," she started. "Is it... Am I being foolish? For trying to keep things a secret?"

Paya smiled at her queen. "I don't think you need to worry about your relationships shedding you in a negative light," she said softly.

"So, the whole kingdom knows, then." Zelda's brows knit together.

"There's nothing for them to know right now," Paya assured her. "Just talk and rumors."

"Rumors," Zelda muttered.

"You needn't worry about rumors," Paya said. "And if you want my advice, I don't think you should worry about keeping secrets, either. It would be far too difficult to keep anything a secret around here." As an afterthought, she added, "I think you'll find more support from the kingdom than you realized, if I may say so."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at her advisor. "Link suggested the same thing."

Paya smiled sheepishly at Zelda. "If that's all, Your Grace," she started. "I told Dorian I would meet with him before he returns to Kakariko."

"Of course," Zelda said. With a bow of her head, Paya dismissed herself, making her way outside towards the barracks. Zelda stared after her for a moment, then let a light sigh escape. Perhaps Paya was right; it would be futile to try to keep any secrets, and perhaps it would even worsen any situation if she did so. Still, she couldn't help but to feel like the whole world was watching her. And they were; they looked to her for guidance as they rebuilt the kingdom. But perhaps they wouldn't be as quick to judge as Zelda had thought.

Zelda met with Dorian later that day to discuss his departure. He and a few of his own soldiers planned to leave for Kakariko the next day, leaving the newly built town and its new residents officially in the hands of the queen. As they previously discussed, Dorian promised to increase the patrols and posts around Hyrule, continuing their hunt for the Yiga Clan. With the rest of the Guardians cleared, their trade routes would open once more, and life in the kingdom would start to return to how it was one hundred years ago.

This was reassuring for the queen; one hundred years was a long time to wait to see her kingdom rebuilt. The life she once knew was starting to return, and with it a sense of normality that eased her aching heart.

Though night approached, it was even darker that evening. The clouds covered the golden light of the setting sun, shrouding the land in darkness as thunder rumbled in the distance. Lightning split the sky silently and the wind howled through the trees. Rain fell in singled droplets at first and the clouds threatened to open at any moment.

Without the light of day streaming through the windows, the central room was eerily dark. Zelda stood alone, watching the storm roll in quietly. The rain picked up quickly, pitter-pattering against the stone walls of the castle at first. And then the clouds opened and the rain fell steady and heavily upon the land. She hadn't seen Link since that morning in the barracks, and she started to wonder where he had run off to.

As if reading her mind, Link strolled across the room from the direction of the kitchen, a rather defeated expression on his face. Zelda turned as Link entered, the sound of his boots muffled by the heavy rain. To her surprise, he didn't have a chicken leg shoved in his mouth or an apple in hand. She smiled as he walked to her side.

"Gotter kick you out again?"

Link grinned at her accusation, realizing then how predictable he really was. "I was put on a leave of absence. From the kitchen."

"That's one way to put it," Zelda said with a light laugh.

Link turned his gaze out the window. "The way you put it, I sound like a menace."

"I'm sure you've been called worse."

Link shrugged. He couldn't argue that. He watched the rain fall outside, his brows furrowed together as the rain brought with it memories, some of which he had tried so desperately to forget. Memories of galloping through a storm with Zelda and seeking out shelter. The way her wet hair clung to her face and his shirt hung loose on her body. Her hand slipping out of his grip as they sprinted through the trees in a desperate attempt to escape the pursuing Guardians.

A sudden crash of thunder shook the ground and before he realized what was happening, he threw himself against Zelda, knocking her to the ground. He blinked up at the red shield that he had subconsciously erected around them, and then it disappeared as soon as he realized that they were not being attacked.

He muttered under his breath as he got to his feet and offered his hand to Zelda, pulling her up with him. He turned his gaze away from her and muttered an apology.

"No," Zelda said quickly. "Thank you. For saving me from the storm. There was no telling what that thunder would have done to us."

Link was not amused. The corner of his lip twisted into a small snarl as he turned his gaze to her.

"Yeah," Zelda muttered. "I'm sorry. That wasn't funny."

Link's expression softened and he sighed, turning away once more. "It was hilarious," he said. "I can face an entire hoard of monsters, but jump at a stupid storm." He started to walk away, but Zelda trotted to his side, pulling at his wrist.

"For what it's worth," she said. "You'd have better luck fighting monsters than a storm. But you tried, and that's what counts."

Link rolled his eyes at her, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Anything for you, Your Highness." His hand found her's and he let their fingers intertwine together.

Zelda offered him a reassuring squeeze, then pulled him along, walking hand in hand through the castle.


	16. Chapter 15

Though the castle seemed busier than ever, Zelda felt alone. There was only so much overseeing she could do before she found herself wandering around aimlessly. While she had her own duties to attend to, they mostly consisted of approving requests from other members of her court, who did the majority of the work around the castle to keep things running. She wandered the halls as the members of the royal court busied themselves with their own duties. The cooks kept to the kitchen while the hand maids tended to the castle chores. The soldiers and knights of the royal army continued to prepare themselves in the barracks, and even the city below was starting to fill with merchants and travelers who were ready to start a new life for themselves. Castle Town had been restored and life had returned to how they once knew it to be.

And though everything seemed to have been progressing, she couldn't help but to notice that Link had taken to avoiding her once more. In the previous days, she had hardly seen him around, not in the barracks, nor stealing food from the kitchen. In the evenings, she would catch a glimpse of him outside or seemingly returning to the castle, but he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

She stood in the central room, gazing out one of the tall windows that overlooked Castle Town. The sun was high in the sky, it's warm rays shining brightly upon the kingdom. The echo of purposeful footsteps bounced off the walls, growing louder as Paya strode into the room. She had an open book in her hands and she looked up from it briefly to greet Zelda.

Zelda peered at the book for a moment, recognizing it as the one Dorian had been carrying around with him since they arrived. "Dorian's notes?" she inquired.

Paya smiled and sighed. "I have to admit," she started, "I've been wondering what he was possibly writing in here." She closed the book and shook her head. "Either he has no faith in my role as your advisor, or he just really enjoys recording every possible detail." She flipped the book open again and let her finger run down a few pages, reading off of them as she did so. "A complete roster of the soldiers in the army and their pay." She flipped a few pages. "Every name of every worker in the castle." She flipped another page and raised a brow. "Weaponry, equipment, supplies." She closed the book once more. "We have people that take care of all of this."

"But it's our job to oversee all of that," Zelda reminded her.

"I suppose I could use all the help I can get," Paya said, waving the book in the air.

Zelda smiled. "I'm sure Dorian trusts you. I have no doubt you'll do fine."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Paya said with a bow of her head.

Zelda turned to make her way down the hallway and Paya followed dutifully beside her. "You haven't seen Link around, have you?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Paya replied. "Is something on your mind?"

"I think he's been avoiding me again."

Paya was quiet for a moment. "I think sometimes he just might need time to be alone. It's like what Grandmother said back in Kakariko."

"I know," Zelda started. "I just thought things were getting better."

"Set backs happen," Paya said. "I've seen this happen with many men, and Grandmother has seen it even more than I." She stopped walking and turned to Zelda, her brows knit together. "I see it even in you. I think you would understand the consequences of war. It's not easy to ask anyone to put their life on the line. Soldiers live through this struggle daily. They go to sleep never knowing if they will awaken, and they wake wondering if this is the day they will die. In battle, they are forced to face their own fears head on. They watch their friends and comrades dies merciless deaths. And if they should survive, they have no way to know what kind of life they will be returning to. If their homes are still standing, if their loved ones are alive." Paya hesitated. "I'm sure those thoughts have crossed your mind as well."

Zelda averted her gaze. "I know that's he's struggling," she said softly. "He thinks everything is his fault. I thought... I thought I convinced him otherwise."

"It's difficult to change that kind of mindset," Paya said. "I've seen it do terrible things."

Zelda narrowed her gaze on Paya. "How do you mean?"

Paya hesitated but held her gaze. "I will not hide the truth from you," she started. "I've seen men grow mad from the traumas of war. I've seen them take their own lives, living with such guilt."

Zelda's heart leapt in her throat. "No," she said quickly. "Link... he wouldn't."

"I don't believe he would," Paya said confidently. "In the end, it comes down to you. He would do anything to keep you safe. He can't very well do that if he's..." She shrugged and put a hand on Zelda's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "I know you worry," she continued. "But I can assure you, he won't let it consume him. You never got to see the determination I saw."

"Thank you, Paya," Zelda said softly. She wouldn't be able to stop worrying, but she believed in Paya's words, and she believed in Link. "Perhaps I don't give him enough credit."

Paya smiled down at the book in her hands. "If you don't mind, Your Grace," she started. "I must take inventory of the castle's weaponry to assure we are prepared for any assault on the Yiga Clan." She bowed her head to Zelda and continued on her way towards the barracks.

Zelda busied herself the rest of the day around the castle. She took to watching the soldiers train for a while, then found herself in the company of her handmaids picking out material for her new dresses and other items around the castle. In the evening, Paya returned to her with her suggestions to craft more weapons, which was met with Zelda's approval.

As night fell, the queen of Hyrule found herself wandering the castle once more. The light of the full moon streamed through the long windows that lined the hallways, bathing her in its cool light as she walked. She found herself moving towards the courtyard where she finally found Link, staring up at the night sky. He turned when he heard Zelda approach and offered her a tired smile. Zelda paused just a few yards away from him, hesitant, before she spoke.

"You're avoiding me again."

Link's smile disappeared. He watched her carefully for a moment. "I'm sorry."

Zelda closed the space between them, looking into his eyes when she stood before him. "You'd tell me if something was on your mind, right?"

Link's expression grew curious. "Like what?"

"Anything."

Link hesitated. "Yes. I would."

"What are you thinking?"

Link looked back to the sky thoughtfully. "I was wondering if I could convince Gotter to make a fruitcake."

Zelda narrowed his gaze on him. "Really?"

Link met her gaze once more and shrugged. "What do you want me to say?" he said with a light sigh. "There's a lot on my mind. Where the Yiga Clan are hiding, why they haven't attacked again, what I can do to stop them. None of this should be new to you."

Zelda sighed and turned her gaze to the moon on the horizon. "Just promise me you will tell me things," she said softly. "I know you're still hurting. But please don't do anything stupid." She turned her gaze back to him, her eyes fierce. "For the love of Hylia, I will put you in that damn shrine again if I have to. I fought too hard for you to survive. I won't let you go so easily."

Link held his gaze on her for a moment and a grin split his face. "I know."

"Do you think that's funny?" Zelda sneered at him, and his grin widened.

"Little bit."

She rolled her eyes, exasperated with him, but immediately melted in his arms when he wrapped them around her. He peered down at her curiously.

"Do me a favor," he said softly.

Zelda's brows knit together and she looked away, unwilling to let him sway her mood so easily. "What?" she muttered.

"Stop worrying about me. I'm not as crazy as Impa and Paya like to make me seem."

Zelda met his gaze, but before she could speak, Link continued.

"I'm sick of everyone walking on eggshells. I do hear things, you know." But he didn't seem particularly angry, still grinning at her.

Zelda sighed loudly. "Alright," she started. "Fine. I trust you."

Link planted a kiss lightly on her lips, then stepped around her. "Good."

Zelda turned and watched him walk towards the castle. "Where are you going?"

Link paused, turned, and bowed to her. "I have a kitchen to infiltrate."

A smile tugged at Zelda's lips. "Fine," she said. "But I expect to see you later tonight."

Link winked playfully at her, then made his way into the castle and towards the kitchen.


	17. Chapter 16

The midmorning sun shone brightly over Hyrule, not a single cloud marking the blue sky, when Paya found the queen standing on the front steps of the castle. She bowed her head to Zelda as she trotted up the stairs and to her queen's side dutifully.

"If I may, Your Highness," Paya started. "I'd like to review with you the plans to infiltrate the Yiga Clan. The army has been split into units-"

"Excuse me?" Zelda interrupted her. She narrowed her gaze on Paya. "What do you mean plans to infiltrate the Yiga Clan?"

"Well," Paya started slowly. "Since our spies reported back last night -"

"Their whereabouts have been found?"

Paya hesitated. "Were you not aware?"

"Does it sound like I was aware?" Zelda sneered angrily. "Why am I just finding out about this now?"

"I p-presumed you s-spoke with Master Link," Paya said nervously. "He wanted to leave at dawn, but I -"

"Link!" Zelda hissed, her hands balling into fists at her side. "He had no intentions to tell me anything."

"I, uh," Paya began to stutter. "I don't -"

"Where is he?" Zelda snapped at her, but she did not wait for an answer. She walked passed Paya, speaking quickly over her shoulder. "Make sure he does not leave."

Zelda headed straight for the stables first where a few of the stablehands seemed to be preparing the horses for a long journey. To her relief, Link's horse was still there. When Zelda pressed them for information, they nervously pointed in the direction that Link had headed; the barracks.

As she had suspected, many of the soldiers were preparing to move out, likely under Link's orders, despite the fact that he had gone behind her back to do so. She made her way through the barracks, ignoring the soldiers that stared after her, and into the captain's office. She pushed the door open angrily where she caught the attention of the two lieutenants that stood before Link, who was sitting atop his own desk. He did not turn his gaze to the queen as she entered, but the two lieutenants bowed dutifully.

"When were you going to tell me?" Zelda snapped at him, ignoring the other two men in the room.

Link hesitated. He stood and dismissed the two soldiers before him. He didn't speak until they were alone. "I planned on telling you when I got back," he said simply.

"I never gave you any orders to infiltrate the Yiga Clan's base."

"The thing is," Link said, "I don't need your orders. You put me in charge of this. This is my army. I make the calls."

"So, now you suddenly want the job?"

"I've gotten report of their whereabouts," Link said forcefully, ignoring her remark. "And I'm taking action while I still can."

"I will not have you taking my army half way across Hyrule -"

"I never said I planned on taking them."

Zelda stared at Link, then narrowed her eyes at him. "What's your plan, Captain?"

Link smiled and walked passed her. "You already know."

"I forbid it," she hissed at him, but Link was already out the door. Zelda trotted to his side, fuming angrily as they walked away from the barracks and towards the castle.

"They need to be taken care of," Link said. "You knew this since the attack on Kakariko Village."

"You planned to take off in the middle of the night without even telling me."

"Would you have let me if I told you?"

"Of course not."

"Then you left me with no choice."

"You're being ridiculous," Zelda barked. She stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "You cannot possibly take the entire Yiga Clan on by yourself."

Link grinned at her. "You underestimate me."

"You're arrogant."

"Then I can take my army?"

Zelda crossed her arms. "You can't win this."

Link stepped around her. "I can and I will."

"No!"

Link paused. He looked over his shoulder. Zelda stood with fists at her side, but her expression was far from angry. He hesitated and turned to her.

"I… I don't want you to go."

"Then what do you propose I do? You know this needs to be done."

"I just…" Her voice softened. "I lost you once already, Link."

Link's gaze softened, but his lips pulled into a smile. "Need I remind you that I've taken on far worse than a bunch of rogue ex-Sheikah?"

"I'd rather you not," Zelda muttered. Then, harder, she said, "You cannot go behind my back like this."

Link sighed. "You're right. The Yiga Clan are moving this way. They'll be here in less than two day's time. As we suspected, they're after you and me, and they want the Master Sword. Do I have your permission to make some heads roll?"

"Absolutely not," Zelda said, and she immediately noticed the change in his expression to irritation. "You're two of the things they want. You can't just hand yourself over to them."

"You act as if I won't succeed."

"And what if you don't?" Zelda hissed. "They'll have exactly what they want and you'll leave me defenseless."

Link grit his teeth together. "Then what do you propose we do?"

Zelda cast her eyes to the ground, hesitant. "I don't know," she admitted. She turned her gaze back to Link. "But I'm sure there are other options. We need to discuss all of our options before running in blind."

"I've already considered every option," Link said. He held up a finger. "I can attack them full force with my army, risk their lives, risk starting another war, none of which I am willing to do." He put up a second finger. "I go in and take them out myself. Much less blood spilled that way. Quick, clean, easy. My preference." A third finger went up. "Or, we tuck our tails between our legs and high-tail it out of here and leave Hyrule to deal with their bullshit." He cocked a brow at Zelda. "Sound about right?"

Zelda could feel her temper building. "What has gotten into you?"

"We don't have time for games, Zelda," Link hissed. "This is our only chance to take them out once and for all. I'm not taking any chances. Take it or leave it."

A whinny pulled both Link and Zelda out of their argument, and they turned as they heard the sound of galloping hooves. Two Sheikah soldiers rode towards them, bowing their heads quickly at their queen. Their horses' legs were caked with dried mud and one had a cut along its neck. The Sheikah men looked equally as dirty and worn.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zelda asked anxiously.

"Your Highness," one of the Sheikah began. "We have orders from Impa and Dorian to escort you out of the castle."

"Escort her?" Link stepped in front of Zelda, his eyes narrowed on the soldiers. "She's not going anywhere unless I say so."

"The Yiga Clan are here," the Sheikah said fiercely. "We were ambushed not hours ago. There are not enough to hold them back for long. We are requesting the aid of the army to keep them at bay while Queen Zelda escapes."

"No," Zelda said quickly. "I won't leave. I can't run and hide. The time to act is now." She turned her hard gaze to Link. "Send a troop into Hyrule to aid the Sheikah. I want a unit to flank and another to stand here at the gates to protect the town at all costs."

Link grit his teeth together but did not argue with her. He let his eyes linger on hers for a moment before turning away and heading towards the barracks.

"The Yiga Clan will not rest until they have their hands on you," the Sheikah soldier continued. "It would not be wise for you to join your army on the field. Our priority is to keep you safe -"

"And what of Link?" Zelda hissed. "They want the Master Sword. He will be giving himself right to them."

"Link will accompany you as you make your escape."

"Idiots," Zelda snarled. "He will not leave his army to fend for themselves. How selfish do you think he is?"

"He can bring that up with Dorian," he said. "I suggest you prepare yourself. We move out in an hour." The two Sheikah pulled their horses around and galloped towards the barracks to help prepare Zelda's army. She stared after them, her heart racing as she began to panic. From around the corner of the castle, Paya emerged, looking over her shoulder at the galloping horses. She met Zelda's gaze and hurried to her queen's side.

"Your Highness," she said with a bow. "I was just informed of the situation at hand." She took Zelda's hand in hers. "We must not waste a moment getting you somewhere safe." She pulled Zelda forward, and Zelda numbly followed as they hurried to the stables.

"You won't be alone," Paya assured her as she retrieved Zelda's horse. "Link and I will both accompany you."

Zelda shook her head, taking her horse from Paya. "I cannot ask that of you, Paya. You need to stay where you will be safe."

"I hope you're not suggesting that I will be safe here," Paya said. She hurried to retrieve two more horses, one belonging to Link. "Besides, it is my duty to be with you. I will not leave you alone in times of trouble. Don't even think to ask me otherwise." She began to saddle Link's horse and smiled to herself. "Besides. Link may be the Hero of Hyrule, but I can assure you his power does not compare to mine. You would both be better off in my protection."

"Don't tell that to Link," Zelda muttered. "He likes to think he's in control."

It wasn't long before the horses were saddled and ready for their escape. Zelda and Paya waited outside the castle with the horses until Link trudged over to them from the barracks, an unhappy snarl on his face. He climbed into his saddle without a word and pushed his horse into a gallop. Paya and Zelda followed suit, and they galloped away from the castle, heading North-east towards Akkala.


	18. Chapter 17

The three escapees were on full alert as they rode towards Akkala, keeping as close to the tree line as possible in hopes of remaining unnoticed. Hardly a word was uttered between them until the sun began its descent and their riding slowed. Paya was leading at this point, and her gaze was full of determination as she brought them to some unknown destination.

"Do we even have a plan?" Zelda asked skeptically. "Where are we heading?"

"We're going to Northern Akkala," Paya explained. "To Robbie's."

Zelda raised a brow. "Robbie's? Why there?"

"I don't believe the Yiga Clan will expect us to be there," Paya said. "But, should we be found, Robbie will be well prepared to defend us without worrying about destroying a village." She narrowed her gaze on Link and he rolled his eyes.

Zelda turned her gaze to the setting sun. "Even if we ride through the night," she said. "His lab is still at least a day's ride out if we keep on this route."

Paya nodded, hesitant. "I know," she said. "And we'll need to at least let the horses rest." She turned her horse deeper into the trees where they thickened around them into the forest. "We can hide out here for the night."

Link slid off his horse's back, and after helping Zelda off her horse, he wandered the forest perimeter, checking for any signs that they had been followed. When he returned, Paya and Zelda already had a small fire going.

"I thought you Sheikah had teleportation skills," Link muttered. He stood over the fire and crossed his arms, feeling impatient.

"We do," Paya admitted, but she did not turn to him. "I... I'm not very good at that yet."

"That sounds about right," Link mumbled under his breath.

"It doesn't matter," Zelda said quickly in an attempt to reassure Paya. "We couldn't be in better hands."

Link pulled out the sword, disinterested in keeping any conversation. He stepped away to continue patrolling the forest around them. Zelda turned away from him, her brows knit together. He had been a headache to understand the last few days. One moment they were inseparable, the next he was impossible to find.

"Your Grace," Paya started. "May I speak as a friend for a moment?"

Zelda turned her attention to Paya and smiled. "Of course."

"Remember what I said to you earlier? About Link? That war has hardened him?"

"Sure," Zelda said, hesitant.

"I think I was mistaken." A smile tugged at the corner of Paya's lips. "I think in reality, he was always an ass. He was just much less outspoken about it."

Zelda laughed lightly. "Perhaps," she said. "I suppose he was right. Pleasantries went out the window one hundred years ago."

"You have a different relationship with him, now," Paya said. "Perhaps he just feels more comfortable around you."

"I could do without the attitude. But, I suppose it comes with the territory."

"Between you and me," Paya said, leaning in slightly. "It's all part of the tough guy act. He's a big softie. You and I both know that."

"Soft where it counts," Zelda said with a grin.

"Y-y-your Highness!" Paya blushed.

"I can hear you!" Link called from somewhere within the trees.

Paya yelped and buried her face in her hands and Zelda laughed loudly.

"I suppose we should get some rest," Zelda said, stretching her arms above her. Paya's cheeks were still warm and she avoided Zelda's gaze, but nodded in agreement.

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when they awoke in the morning, and they wasted no time readying their horses and continuing on their journey to Robbie's, racing across the plains. Link was especially anxious to arrive, for the sooner they got there, the sooner he could return to destroy the Yiga Clan himself. Under the protection of two Sheikah soldiers, Link was certain that nothing could get by their forces, and Zelda would be more safe than she'd ever be with him.

Their journey was cut short, however, by none other than the Yiga Clan themselves. The horses reared as Yiga Clan foot soldiers appeared out of thin air, one by one, surrounding the three travelers. They grinned and laughed, raising their weapons as they closed in around them. Paya and Link moved around Zelda, Link with his sword drawn, Paya with her arm out before her, her gaze narrowed on the Yiga Clan.

But the foot soldiers were hardly intimidated by the hero and the Sheikah. They glanced at one another, snickering, before disappearing. When they appeared again, they were scattered around and throwing themselves at Paya and Link. Link deflected their blows one by one with his sword, and they disappeared as they bounded away, only for more to appear in midair as they continued to lunge at him.

Paya found herself in a similar situation, and she threw her palm out towards each of them as they lunged. The force of her power was enough to send them flying backwards, but they were quick to regain their composure, disappearing and appearing again to continue their attack.

The horses pranced nervously, throwing their heads in the air as each soldier invaded their space with their deadly weapons. Even under the command of their riders, they continued to bump into one another, squeezing Zelda and her steed at every corner until her horse had had enough. She reared upwards, her front hooves flying in the air, and the other two horses darted out of the way, leaving Zelda exposed to the Yiga Clan.

The soldiers turned their attacks on to Zelda and her horse reared once more as the Yiga Clan moved in around them and closed them off from Paya and Link. The horse continued to rear and panic, kicking her feet up as the soldiers moved in, and Zelda found herself losing her grip. She wrapped her arms around her steed's neck, but the now bewildered horse threw herself around in a desperate attempt to break free. Finally, the horse charged forward, and the force threw Zelda out of the saddle, landing hard on the ground with a grunt.

When she looked up, the blade that she saw was not the blade she had expected to see, and the scene that played out before her seemed all too familiar. Link stood before her, snarling at the Yiga soldiers, his sword raised as they pressed in around him. Unlike in the desert, however, they were severely outnumbered, and the foot soldiers did not hesitate to move in around them, unfazed by Link's presence.

"Link." Zelda's voice wavered. Though she called to him, his only response was to step further back, closer to her. His eyes darted around them at each of the soldiers. He had a plan; a plan that would expend a lot of his energy and, if it did not work, would render him almost useless in protecting Zelda. Everything had to be timed precisely.

And then they made their move. One by one, they lunged at Link and Zelda, and Link immediately forced Daruk's protection around them. It was enough to block the blows, but with each lunge and attack, the shield was quickly weakening. Link narrowed his eyes on them as he prepared the next stage of his plan; Urbosa's fury. Lightning assaulted the ground around them, however, the foot soldiers were just as quick to react to his attack. They disappeared quickly, appearing once more to lunge at him. Only a few of the soldiers were struck by his attack, but the others continued to plunge themselves into his barrier until it finally shattered, the force knocking him backwards off his feet.

"Link!"

This time, it was Paya's voice that called to him, and he looked up just in time to see her throw herself in front of him and Zelda, her back to the approaching soldiers. She held both hands out in front of her, her face hard with concentration, and she shouted a Sheikah word that Link did not recognize. There was a bright flash and he shielded his eyes with his arms. When the light subsided, he dropped his arms and opened his eyes, blinking at the change of scenery around him.

He scrambled quickly to his feet, slipping on the snow covered ground, calling to Zelda and turning just in time to see her get to her feet. He hurried to her side, checking her over as she fell against him, shaking. She looked up into his eyes and blinked against the falling snow.

"What... happened?" She looked around them quickly. "Where are we?"

They were no longer in Akkala. In fact, it seemed that they were somewhere in the Tabantha Snowfields. And even at the highest point of the day, it was still below freezing, and the temperature would only continue to drop. Without their horses and their gear, they would not survive long in the frigid temperatures.

But Link was no stranger to Hyrule. He knew if they made their way south, they would eventually come across a stable where they could rest, get some gear, and 'borrow' a couple of horses.

"We need to move quickly," Link said, pulling Zelda closer to him. "There's a stable that shouldn't be too far from here."

"Paya," Zelda started to sob. "They're going to kill her."

"They don't stand a chance against her," Link said in an attempt to reassure her. "We'll find her, I promise."

Zelda nodded weakly at Link's side. She let him pull her forward and they trudged through the snow as quickly as they could, making their way south towards the stables.


	19. Chapter 18

"I'm sure if we just ask," Zelda started, "someone will give us a horse. They won't say no to their queen. Stealing doesn't exactly put me in a good light, you know."

Link ignored her as he moved through the stable, inspecting the horses that were inside for the night. They peered back at him curiously, warm fog blowing from their nostrils. Zelda was huddled by the fire inside, flexing her fingers in an attempt to get feeling back in them.

"Let's go." Link opened a stall door and grabbed the horse's mane. The horse snorted and planted his feet as Link pulled and tried to encourage the horse out of the stall.

Zelda yawned and turned her gaze sleepily to Link. She didn't want to argue with him, but she was cold and exhausted. "Can't we just... take a nap at least?"

The horse stomped a hoof and Link let go with a sigh. He turned his gaze to Zelda, his lips pressed together. He didn't want to waste any more time, but even he could tell Zelda was in no condition to ride through the night. He closed the stall door and dug through the various equipment in the barn until he found a blanket. He wrapped it around Zelda's shoulders as she sat in front of the fire. Link stretched out beside her and let out another sigh.

"Thanks," Zelda said softly. "Five minutes," she said with a yawn. Her eyes were already drooping. "And then... we can go..."

She didn't even realize she fell asleep until she was waking up some amount of time later. The fire was still burning strongly, but Link was no longer at her side. She sat up, pulled the blanket tighter around her, and looked around with groggy eyes. Outside the stables, standing by the doorway, were two horses, saddled and waiting. She got to her feet and approached the horses curiously. She scratched at their necks when two figures emerged from around the corner. Her gaze moved from Link to the man beside him, who bowed his head and smiled at the queen.

"Are these your horses?" Zelda asked.

"It's the best I can do on short notice," the man said to her. "But I can assure you that they are fast and hardy."

Link moved to Zelda's side, offering her a hand and lifting her into the saddle. She tied the blanket around her for extra warmth through the night, then patted her horse's neck.

"Thank you," she said to the man. "We owe you -"

The man laughed and waved a hand at her. "Hardly. I'm the one who owed Link." He moved his gaze to Link and grinned. "Now we're even, eh?"

"Close enough," Link said. He shook the man's hand before mounting his own horse.

Link kicked his horse and the horse sprung forward, with Zelda following close behind.

"You know where to find me," the man called to them.

It was only a couple hours into their ride when the sun began to stretch its rays over the horizon and across Hyrule. They had made it out of the Tabantha region and were heading east back towards Akkala.

"What if she's not there?" Zelda asked. "She could be anywhere by now."

"Or she could be hiding out there," Link said. "It's the only lead we've got right now."

"We could also be heading right into a trap."

"We won't know until we get there," Link reminded her.

Zelda pressed her lips together. She didn't know what waited for them back in Akkala, and various scenarios flew through her head and caused her stomach to twist and knot sickeningly. She never should have let Paya come with her. But, then again, if it weren't for Paya, they would all likely be dead.

As fate would have it, however, Link and Zelda would not find Paya in Akkala. It was late into the next evening when they finally neared the bridge over the South Akkala Plains. The citadel ruins loomed in the distance, an eerie, dark shape against the darkening sky. And just at the start of the bridge, Yiga Clan foot soldiers waited to ambush them. This time, a blade master joined them, and he grinned wickedly at his two victims.

They pulled their horses to a stop, watching as the soldiers drew their weapons and closed the space between them. The horses pranced nervously beneath them, untrained for any sort of confrontation or battle.

"We could out run them," Zelda said. Her voice shook nervously. "They wouldn't be able to follow us."

"They'll find us," Link muttered. "They always do."

Zelda turned her gaze to him. "We can't win this."

A grin spread across Link's face and he drew his sword. "Why do you always underestimate me?"

"Hand over the sword," the blade master shouted to them. "And perhaps I will let you live another day."

Link laughed sharply. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Then prepare to die!"

The foot soldiers lunged forward, disappear and appearing as they circled around Link and Zelda, quickly disorienting them. The horses pranced and snorted, their ears pinned back as the foot soldiers pressed in around them, waving their blades in the air. When the foot soldiers threw their blades towards them, the horses reared and kicked defensively, making it difficult for Link to block a blow or land his own attack.

Before long, the horses dislodged their riders and immediately bolted in the opposite direction, away from the danger. Link stepped in front of Zelda, his blade raised, his eyes darting to each of the soldiers as they continued to press in around them.

"You should know," Zelda muttered. "That if I die, I will haunt you and I will kill you."

"That's romantic."

"Aren't you the one that's supposed to protect me with your life?" Zelda sneered.

"Do you believe that I won't?"

Before Zelda could retort, Daruk's protection formed around them, and just as Link did in their last battle, Urbosa's fury followed, lightning annihilating the ground around them. The Yiga Clan predicted his attack, however, and they were quicker to dodge this time around. The ground erupted where the lightning struck and fires ignited in the tall, dry grass. The smoke quickly thickened, clouding their vision and making it even more difficult to see as night quickly crept in.

The foot soldiers continued to lunge at them from all directions, shattering Daruk's shield. It took every bit of energy Link could muster to move quick enough to block their blows. With the Yiga Clan at the advantage, all he could do was block and defend, and the frustration grew quickly inside of him. He couldn't step away from Zelda to attack, as that would only leave her open and defenseless. He was cornered into a losing fight, and his mind fought desperately to come up with a plan.

And then an idea began to take shape. If he could find the strength to muster up Daruk's protection once more, he could use his defense to his advantage to create an offense. By extending the shield forcefully, he could use it to attack and push the foot soldiers away. He could manipulate the barrier, allowing him to step out of its protection while keeping Zelda safe inside and thus allowing him the freedom to attack without consequence.

It was risky and, admittedly, not something he had tried before. But he had seen Daruk do many things with his own power, and since that power was passed on to him, it only made sense that Link would be able to manipulate it to suit his needs. It would take a lot of energy out of him should his plan succeed, but it was the only option he had, and there was no way he was going to lose this fight.

The shield shot forth once more, enveloping Link and Zelda in its protective barrier, and when encouraged by Link, the barrier expanded at blinding speed. Just as Link predicted, the Yiga Clan foot soldiers were knocked back by the extreme force and putting distance between them. It allowed him just enough time to hone in on the power, forcing it away from him, as if pulling it out of his own body, allowing the freedom to step out of its protection. When he did, he felt a cold sensation shoot through his body, sending a shiver up his spine, but it disappeared as quickly as it happened, and he was free from the restrictions of the shield.

He looked over his shoulder, confirming his suspicions. He was no longer under Daruk's protection, but the barrier remained, shrinking back to its original form and keeping Zelda defended. Zelda stared open mouthed at Link for a moment, then shouted to him as the foot soldiers returned to their attacks.

Link let a sly grin split his face, more eager than ever to swing his sword and see some heads roll. He cracked his neck and flexed his fingers around his sword, then swung himself and his blade around at the foot soldiers that lunged at him. His blade came across their torsos as they flew through the air at him, and they fell to the ground with a satisfying thud. He raised the blade once more and steel met steel with a loud clang. He pushed against the blade forcefully, dislodging one soldier and swinging around to block another attack. He thrust his blade forward into one of the soldiers and withdrew it quickly to plunge into another.

He was so absorbed in the battle, enjoying every moment of the fight, that he had almost overlooked the strange pull in his chest. It was a familiar pull that seemed to happen whenever Daruk's protection was weakening, and this realization was enough to cause him to hesitate. He spun around on his heels just in time to see the shield shatter, leaving Zelda exposed. But before he could think to lunge to her defense, the remaining foot soldiers had him surrounded. They pressed in around him, grinning wickedly behind their blades. There were significantly fewer soldiers now, and Link pushed through them with ease when he hear Zelda's screams.

Too easily, in fact.

He slid to a stop when his gaze fell onto Zelda. The cold, steel blade of the blade master pressed against her neck. He smiled wickedly at Link; he had him right where he wanted him.

"Drop the sword," the blade master barked.

Link froze where he was. His eyes darted around to the foot soldiers that had taken to forming a half circle around him, their blades still raised, ready to attack.

"Drop the sword," the blade master repeated, "and you can have her."

Link knew it was a lie, but his heart stopped and pitched into his stomach. His arm was still raised with the sword in hand, but his grip loosened and his arm shook.

"Don't do it, Link!" Zelda shouted at him with terror in her eyes.

Link winced and met her gaze, then moved his eyes to the Yiga blade master. He held his gaze as he lifted a hand slowly in the air in defense and lowered his arm with the sword. He loosened his grip further and the blade clattered to the ground. Except for the crackling of the flames around them and his pulse thudding in his ears, the world felt still and silent.

"No!"

The blade master's grin widened and he pulled Zelda closer to him, but moved the blade away from her neck just slightly. "How easily manipulated you are," he said. "You're weak."

Link froze as he felt cold steel against his neck. He held his breath and watched as another foot soldier picked up the sword and brought it to his commander.

Zelda struggled under the blade master, but he pulled her with him as he stepped backwards. "We'll be off, now," he said, then, directing his gaze to the soldier behind Link, "Take care he doesn't follow us."

Zelda shrieked and struggled. "No!"

There was a bright flash and they were gone. One by one, the remaining foot soldiers also vanished until only one remained. The Yiga foot soldier did not hesitate to try to slice Link's neck, but Link was quicker, feeling the moment the soldier flinched to make his move. In one swift movement, Link knocked the blade to the ground and the Yiga soldier stumbled backwards. He disappeared quickly as Link leapt for the sword, then reappeared right before Link, his foot on Link's wrist. Link twisted his body, grabbing at the soldier's foot and pulling him to the ground. As the soldier fell to the ground, Link brought the blade to his throat and in one swift motion, ended their brief battle.

He dropped the weapon and scrambled to his feet, his heart racing and his breathing heavy as he spun around, hoping for some sign of Zelda, but all he was doing was wasting time. He cursed under his breath and kicked at the ground. He forced his breathing to steady and his mind to quiet in an attempt to think of a plan. The Yiga Clan had Zelda and the Master Sword, and it was clear what they would try to do with that power.

"Dammit!" How could he have been so stupid?

With no other option, Link started running, scooping up the Yiga blade in the process. He ran until he found his escaped horse, and after swinging onto his back, galloped away from Akkala and into Hyrule Field.


	20. Chapter 19

Hyrule Field seemed like a vast, lifeless wasteland as Link rode towards Castle Town. He had half expected there to be a swarm of Yiga soldiers attempt to infiltrate Hyrule's army. To his surprise, the Rito army stood before the front gates with Teba at the head. He was in the midst of conversation with Link's first lieutenant when Link approached.

"The Yiga Clan do not retreat," Teba said forcefully. His eyes were narrowed on the Hylian lieutenant. "You cannot assume they have left, or that they will not return. They are always watching, and we would be foolish to make our next move without taking that into consideration."

Teba and the lieutenant turned their attention on to Link with a respectful nod. The lieutenant eyed Link's horse with confusion, then turned his gaze to his captain. "That is not your horse."

Link ignored him, not interested in explaining the predicament he found himself in. Instead, he turned his attention to the Rito Champion. "Teba, what are you doing here?"

"My scouts saw the Yiga Clan approaching the castle," Teba started. "We came to assist your army in defending the wall."

"Your assistance was not needed," the lieutenant muttered. He turned his gaze to his captain, pulling his shoulders back confidently. "We have succeeded in holding them back, but not more than an hour ago they retreated unexpectedly. There have been no signs of them since." He raised a curious brow and his eyes scanned the area quickly. "Where is the queen?"

"Teba is right," Link said, further ignoring his lieutenant. "They won't let you out of their sights." Link slid off his horse's back and handed the reins to a soldier before turning towards Teba. "A word?"

Link stepped away from the army with Teba at his side and they walked until Link was sure they were out of earshot.

"Your lieutenant is a bit cocky," Teba said with a small grin.

"Yeah," Link muttered. "Sometimes."

"I sensed there was trouble when you weren't with your army." Teba's gaze moved over Link's shoulder. "It seems you are the one that may need some assistance. Or perhaps that is an understatement." He narrowed his eyes slightly at Link. "Where is the sword? Where is Zelda?"

"I don't need help," Link hissed. "You shouldn't have dragged the Ritos into this."

"The sooner you realize you can't do this on your own, the better," Teba said. "No one expects you to carry this burden alone."

"I'd rather not be responsible for anyone losing their lives."

"Good thing you're not responsible for the Ritos," Teba said. He stretched his wings out beside him, his feathers blowing lightly in the breeze. "You leave that to me. Now get off your high horse and let us help."

Link cast his eyes towards the front gates of Castle Town. He knew there was no sense in arguing with Teba, especially when he was right. And when it came down to it, Teba and the other Champions were the only other people he could trust in such a delicate situation.

"I need to find Zelda and Paya," Link said regretfully. "I need to get the sword back." He turned his gaze back to Teba. "Can you help me?"

Teba smiled. "Ah, the truth comes out. I can't say losing the queen of Hyrule makes you look very good right now," he teased. "But at least you recognize the fact that you can't do this alone." He raised a wing and turned his eyes up, as if he were going out of his way to help Link. "I suppose I could offer my assistance in this matter."

"That's very Revali of you," Link muttered. "We were ambushed by the Yiga Clan in the Akkala region. They have both Zelda and Paya, and the sword. And I have no idea where they took them."

"That may be why they seem to have retreated," Teba said, a wing under his beak in thought. "They have what they came for."

"They will be watching our every step," Link said. "As soon as we make a move, they will do everything in their power to stop us. I'm not about to walk right into their hands."

"What's your plan?"

"I'm going to Kakariko. If anyone has any clue of what they could be doing, it will be Impa."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Teba said. "Go. I'll meet you there and see what I can see in the meantime." Without another word, he flapped his wings and pushed himself off the ground, soaring into the air. Link watched him take to the skies before returning to the front gates where he retrieved his horse.

"What are your orders?" his lieutenant asked him as Link pulled himself into the saddle.

"Keep your posts around the city walls," Link instructed. "No one moves until I say so." Link pulled his horse around and galloped back into Hyrule Field with his eyes on Kakariko Village. It would take him an entire day's ride to get there. He knew the Yiga Clan moved quickly, and not knowing their plan made him uneasy. Whatever they were doing with Zelda and the Master Sword, they would do as quickly as possible before Link could stop them. Going to Kakariko was a risky detour, but it was the only option he had left. He had to do everything in his power to get there as quickly as possible.

Impa stared at the man that stood before her. She wanted to laugh, for surely he was playing a joke on her. Surely he wasn't so damn stupid.

Link had made the ride to the village in record time, yet the old Sheikah leader was seemingly set on wasting his time despite what he had told her. He met her gaze, his brows knit together angrily when she did not respond to him. "Yell at me later," he muttered with growing desperation. "Just help me." Those three words stung as he said them, unwilling to admit to himself that he was simply not enough to defend Zelda's life. He cast his eyes away from the angry Sheikah leader as she started to scold him like a child.

"What in the name of Hylia do you think I can do?" she barked at him. "The Sword that Seals the Darkness can just as easily break that seal, especially with a piece of the Triforce in their possession. You gave our enemy exactly what they need to bring Ganon back, making everything you and Zelda did for nothing!"

"I know!" Link snapped at her.

Impa shook her head and her nostrils flared. "No, you don't," she spat. Her eyes raged as she glared at him. "You're a fool! A damned fool. You should have listened to Zelda."

"They were going to kill her." Link was quickly growing impatient at her. He kept his head down, but his eyes turned up to glare at Impa.

"They'll kill her either way," Impa snapped. "She would have had a fighting chance if you didn't give them the damn sword."

"You're wasting my damn time!" Realizing he would get no help from Impa, he spun on his heels and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him. He took the steps two at a time and leapt onto his horse. He looked up to Impa as she stood in the doorway.

"They'll be going to the Forgotten Temple," she said. "Do not let them draw the sword's power there, Link. If they do, they will succeed in breaking the seal and bringing Ganon back. Do not let your efforts be for naught."

Link held his gaze for a moment, breaking away only when Teba swooped in beside him.

"There are Yiga spies all over the place," he said, his eyes on Impa.

"Of course there are," she hissed. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Despite their powers, they are nothing compared to mine. They will not be able to get past my defenses. Everything we do and say here in the village is safe. But once you leave the protection of the village, you will be on your own."

Teba turned his attention to Link. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the Forgotten Temple," Link replied. "And I'm going to kill some Yiga bastards."

Teba crossed his wings over his chest and shook his head. "You are the most stubborn -"

"Don't bother," Impa said. "You're beating a dead horse with that one. Everything goes in one ear and out the other." Impa smiled down at Link, both hands on her hips. "He may be an idiot, but at least he makes up for his own mistakes and doesn't drag anyone down with him."

"Your words are touching," Link muttered. He pulled his horse around, but Teba grabbed the reins before Link could gallop away, pulling the horse back. The horse pinned his ears back in frustration and snorted.

"Don't be rash," Teba said. "I believe you could take on the entire Yiga Clan. But they have some very valuable people and weapons in their possession. We can't afford any errors."

"Every second I waste here is another second closer to them breaking Zelda's seal," Link hissed.

"Listen to me," Teba growled at him. "You've put your trust in us before, you can afford to do it again. You'll never get there in time. But I can. And we have four Divine Beasts with four very capable Champions at the ready. I can get a message to them in no time. If you aren't willing to risk the lives of our soldiers, then at least let us go in with everything we've got."

"That worked so well last time," Link muttered, breaking his gaze on Teba. His stomach knotted sickeningly at the memory.

"All you need to do," Teba continued, ignoring Link's comment, "is get in, get Zelda, Paya, and the sword, and get out. The Divine Beasts can take care of the rest. They'll blast away at that temple so it can never be accessed again. With a little luck, we'll bury a few Yiga soldiers in the process."

"Take Dorian and our men with you," Impa said. "You'll fair much better if you have their help. Focus on getting back Zelda, Paya, and the sword. Leave the rest up to us."

"Fine," Link muttered. "You have five minutes and I'm out of here."

Impa smiled. "We'll only need three."

Teba let a wing rest on Link's need for a moment before taking to the skies once more to deliver his message to the other three Champions. Despite his aversions, he felt a sense of relief wash through him. He promised himself he wouldn't let anyone else die on his watch, but being the sole hero of Hyrule was quite a daunting task. Perhaps it was time he let himself lean on his friends again.

Just as Impa promised, the Sheikah soldiers were ready in only three minutes, and they rode out of the village with Link towards the Forgotten Temple.

Impa watched as they galloped out of the village, then turned her eyes to the night sky. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Lady Hylia," she said with a light chuckle. "But I know Hyrule couldn't be in better hands."


	21. Chapter 20

The Yiga foot soldier shoved Zelda into the cell, and she stumbled against Paya, who promptly caught the queen in her arms. They winced as the cell door was slammed shut, and Paya helped Zelda to her feet. Zelda glared at the Yiga soldier as a grin spread across his face.

The blade master examined the sword in his hand, seemingly pleased with himself. He turned his attention to his foot soldier, his voice harsh when he spoke.

"Kill the Sheikah woman," he said simply. "And when Link arrives, kill him, too." He shot a glance towards Zelda and his face split into a wicked grin. "Not to worry; you'll be joining them soon enough." He let the Master Sword rest against his shoulder and turned away from the cell, trotting down the steps and through the hideout to gather the rest of his men.

The foot soldier rubbed his hands together eagerly and turned back to the two women in the cell. "The pleasure is all mine, ladies," he said with a grin much too wide for his face. He walked towards the cell and jingled the keys in his hand. "And what I mean by that," he continued, "is that I'll be having some fun with you both first." His grin widened further and he leaned in slightly, as if to taunt them.

"You don't go no where, now," he said as he stepped away. He laughed at his own joke. "I'll be back soon for some fun." He made his way down the hall and around the corner, jingling the keys as he walked.

Zelda let out her breath as soon as he disappeared around the corner. "Paya," she started. "Are you alright?"

Paya spun to Zelda, taking her wrists in her hands. "Listen to me," she hissed. "We're getting out of here and we're getting the sword back."

Zelda blinked at Paya for a moment, taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. Never before had she seen Paya take such control of a situation. "How are we going to do that?" Her voice shook as she spoke. She knew just what the Yiga soldier had intended to do with them before he killed them. And as much as she wanted to believe she could defend herself, she was more certain that he would be much too strong for them. The situation felt very real, and very terrifying, and she hadn't felt this way since Calamity Ganon awoke.

"Leave it to me," Paya said confidently. "I'll get us out of here. Just stay behind me when he comes back around."

Zelda nodded, unable to speak simply out of fear. The minutes dragged on as they waited for the soldier to return, and their hearts froze when they heard footsteps and the sound of jingling keys. There was a light whistling as the soldier came around the corner, a grin on his face. He moved towards the cell and stopped to peer at them for a moment, twirling the large key ring around his finger.

"Hmm," he started, a finger on his chin. "Who should I start with?"

Paya stepped in front of Zelda as the soldier inserted the key. The lock clicked open when the key turned, and the door moved to the side, exposing the soldier. In that instant, Paya thrust her palm forward, and an invisible force blasted through the cell doorway and into the soldier. The force sent him flying across the room until he hit the wall on the opposite side and slid down to the floor with a groan.

"You bitch," he muttered, glaring up at Paya who now stood in the doorway of the cell.

Paya promptly strode forward until she stood before the soldier who was struggling to get to his feet. He reached for the weapon on his back, but Paya swung her leg around, landing a kick hard against his chest and knocking him backwards onto the floor once more.

"Get up again," Paya threatened, "and it will be the end of you."

The soldier smiled wickedly up at her. "It seems we underestimated you, young Sheikah, but no matter." He moved his legs under him and worked slowly at returning to his feet as he spoke. "It seems you underestimate us, as well." He thrust his own palm in the air, but Paya was quicker to react. She moved her arm in a wide circle and an energetic barrier shot up around her, blocking the Yiga soldier's attack. The force ricocheted off of Paya's shield and was sent back towards the soldier, pushing him down onto the ground once more. The force pushed him across the ground until his body slid into the wall to their left.

But as he came to a stop, Paya was already preparing another attack. She pointed her index finger at him and an electrifying line of energy shot towards him. The Yiga soldier screamed as the attack made impact, his shouts then immediately cut short. When the attack dissipated, the soldier lay lifeless on the ground.

Paya stared at the body that lay just yards before her. She had never actually killed anyone before, nor did she ever expect she would have to. Even when Calamity Ganon threatened their land, the fighting had always been left to the men in the village, the travelers throughout the land, and Link. A part of her just always assumed that that was how it would always be. How wrong she had been.

"Paya."

Paya turned quickly and bowed her head to her queen. "Are you okay, Your Grace?" she asked, her head still low. "I'm sorry if that took -"

"Are you okay?" Zelda interrupted. Her brows were knit together in concern.

"O-of course," Paya stammered. She turned her gaze away as she straightened. "It's just... I've never killed anyone before."

Zelda took Paya's hand in her's, her gaze fierce. "We need to get out of here," she said. "Are you able to do this?"

Paya nodded quickly. "Yes," she breathed.

"Good," Zelda said, sucking in a breath. "Let's get that sword back."

Paya hesitated. "I believe, perhaps, we should concern ourselves with escaping from here."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at Paya. "And let them keep the sword?"

"They will be unable to fully use its power without you or Link," Paya explained. "My priority is getting you to safety."

"And my priority is keeping the Yiga Clan from bringing Ganon back," Zelda hissed.

"You can do that by keeping out of their grasp," Paya said. "We don't know how they plan to move forward. We don't know the state of the kingdom. We don't even know if Master Link is still alive."

"He's alive," Zelda snapped. "He won't let some Yiga scum get to him. And you know he's out there looking for us. They're expecting him to show up, and they know he's a threat. They don't think we pose a threat, which leaves us at an advantage. Let's give them a reason to change their mind. We'll get the sword and get out of here before Link walks into a trap."

Paya pinched her lips together. "Alright," she finally agreed. "But the moment things get hairy, I'm getting us out of here, sword or not."

Zelda nodded. "Deal." She moved to the soldier, taking the weapon he carried. She judged the weight in her hand for a moment, then turned back towards Paya with a nod. They hurried across the room where the blade master headed, keeping themselves pressed against the wall as they peered around the corner into the next room where two tall pillars stood, and at the far end, a set of stairs that moved further down into another open room. Both rooms appeared to be empty, so they hurried first to the pillar, then across to the steps and into the lower room.

They kept close to the wall, darting between more pillars as they moved across the room and towards the long hallway on the other side. They stood on either side, their breaths held as they listened to the voices that echoed along the corridor. Zelda immediately recognized the voice of the blade master that was in possession of the sword barking orders to the other foot soldiers.

"Everything as just as it should be," he said, his voice deep and cold. "The Hylian army remains guarding the city. They have no idea of our plans. Eliminate them; we don't need any more interruptions." His voice seemed to shift, as if turning to another grouping of soldiers. "A Rito was spotted earlier entering and leaving Kakariko. I want a unit at each of the four regions. Make sure they do not cause any problems for us. Do not let them aid the Hylians." His voice grew louder. "Take Zelda. We move now to the Forgotten Temple."

Scuffling sounds followed, and after a moment, those were followed by footsteps as they moved down the corridor towards them. Paya's eyes turned to Zelda quickly and she immediately read the determination in her queen's eyes. Paya she shook her head quickly, but Zelda clearly had other ideas. The queen stepped in front of the door way, her arm raised, and the Triforce piece on the back of her hand began to glow.

"Don't!"

But the Yiga soldiers were already coming around the corner, and a golden beam shot out of Zelda's palm towards her enemies. A piercing light flashed as her attack made impact, shrouding the room in it's warm glow for a moment before subsiding. And as the light disappeared, the room began to tremble, and the corridor where the Yiga Clan soldiers stood had already collapsed on top of them.

Rubble began to fall from the ceilings and jagged cracks jutted up the walls, weakening the integrity of the hide out and threatening to cave in around them. Paya threw herself towards Zelda, grabbing her wrist as the ceiling began to cave in, and in an instant, they were gone.

Zelda opened her eyes, disoriented for a moment, but was only greeted by another bright, warm light. She shielded her eyes and blinked quickly in an attempt to let her eyes adjust. It was after a moment she realized she was looking towards the horizon at the rising sun. Her eyes darted quickly as she took in her surroundings. They were somewhere likely somewhere outside of Gerudo Desert, judging by the sandy valley she was in. Outside of the Yiga Clan hideout, perhaps. Where ever it was.

She turned around and her eyes landed on Paya, just a few feet away, getting to her feet slowly. She pressed her palm against her temple and groaned lightly before turning her gaze to Zelda.

"If I may be so blunt," Paya muttered. "Are you crazy?" She raised her voice. "That was suicide!"

Her anger was cut short, however, as at that moment, Yiga soldiers appeared out of no where, one by one, until they had Paya and Zelda surrounded. Two of them moved quickly towards Paya, each grasping tightly at one of her arms and pulling her backwards, placing a blade carefully at her neck, while two more did the same with Zelda.

Zelda raised her arm, her hand still clutching the blade, but the men behind her were quicker, catching her wrist and knocking the blade from her grasp. She struggled until she felt their blade against her skin and her breath caught in her throat. She turned her eyes to Paya, but Paya's head hung low, her eyes to the ground.

The blade master with the Master Sword in his possession appeared before Zelda, grinning wickedly down at her. "That was a cute little trick you pulled," he said. His expression hardened quickly, his cold eyes staring into her. "But nothing more," he hissed. "We need you alive a little bit longer. But not to worry – I will personally put you out of your misery when we are through with you." He turned his gaze over his shoulder towards the Yiga soldiers that had Paya in their grasps. "Kill her."


	22. Chapter 21

"No!" The Triforce on the back of Zelda's hand began to glow brightly once more as an electric force field burst from around her, pushing the Yiga soldiers forcefully away from her. They landed on the ground where they continued to slide before slamming into the rocks on the other side.

Zelda straightened, pulling her shoulders back as she narrowed her gaze on the blade master. She held her arm out before her, but this time, instead of sending out a power attack, an elegant, golden bow appeared in her hand. She wrapped her fingers around it and drew the string. As she pulled back on the string, a golden arrow took shape. When her fingers released, the arrow shot true towards the grinning blade master. But before the arrow could make contact, the blade master was gone. The arrow continued to fly beyond where the blade master stood and instead pierced the shoulder of a Yiga soldier, who promptly fell to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Beside the now lifeless Yiga soldier lay several others, not a single wound inflicting any of them. Paya stepped over their bodies, her arm raised out before her as she sent two more soldiers behind Zelda flying backwards through the air. Zelda pulled at her bow string once more and fired three more arrows as three more Yiga soldiers closed in around them. Before her or Paya could think to attack once more, the remaining members of the Yiga Clan disappeared.

"Cowards," Zelda muttered. She lowered her bow and turned towards Paya.

"They won't waste their time with us," Paya said. "They're bringing the sword to the Forgotten Temple where they will break your seal on Ganon."

"They can't," Zelda started, hesitant. "Can they?"

Paya shook her head, but it wasn't in disagreement. "I'm not sure. I didn't think they could without a piece of the Triforce. But they sure left in a hurry without you."

"They expect me to go there," Zelda said through gritted teeth. "To walk right into their hands." She sighed. "Because I will. Because I need to stop them. There's no other choice."

"Perhaps that buys us some time, then," Paya said. "Time to bring in reinforcements."

"I'm sure there are already Yiga soldiers at every corner of Hyrule," Zelda said. "We won't have any help unless we can eliminate them and free up each of the armies."

"I thought someone said reinforcements."

Zelda and Paya turned their gazes to the sky towards the sound of the voice. Teba swooped down gracefully, landing on his feet at Zelda's side. He flashed a grin and bowed his head slightly.

"Now, I'm not saying I'm a mind reader, but I happen to be two steps ahead of you."

"Teba," Zelda said, breathless. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. "Last I heard, you were in the clutches of the Yiga Clan."

"We were," Zelda explained. "We escaped. But they took off. We believe they're heading to the -"

"Forgotten Temple," Teba interrupted. He nodded his head. "Yes, Impa suspected as much."

"You spoke with Impa?"

"She was less than thrilled to hear that Link lost the two of you."

"Link," Zelda gasped. "He's alive?"

"Well, he was when we departed," Teba said. "He headed straight for the Forgotten Temple, believing you would be there with the Yiga Clan. I'm just coming back from speaking with Riju. The Champions are at their posts on their respected Divine Beasts, waiting for my command."

"The Yiga Clan sent troops to each of them," Zelda said quickly.

"Aye," Teba nodded. "I saw them heading into the desert as I was leaving. Not to worry, Your Grace; our armies are well prepared and waiting for them."

"It's just a distraction," Paya said. "Anything to keep us from getting reinforcements."

"Perhaps," Teba agreed. "But we've got those beasts on our side. The Yiga Clan doesn't stand a chance."

"We cannot delay any longer," Paya started, turning her gaze to Zelda. "We must get to the Forgotten Temple."

Zelda nodded. "Thank you, Teba," she said. "Hurry back. We haven't a moment to lose."

Teba bowed his head once more to Zelda, then took to the skies, disappearing in the clouds. Paya moved to Zelda's side and in a flash, they were gone.

Hooves kicked up dust as the Sheikah army thundered over the plains of Hyrule with Link leading them. Even at the speeds of the galloping steeds, the ride from Kakariko to the Forgotten Temple would still take the riders through the night and into the early hours of morning. The attack in Akkala, though only just barely two days prior, had felt like an eternity to go, and Link hadn't had a moment to rest since then. The lack of sleep was starting to take its toll on him, but he pushed through his weariness as the dawn broke the horizon, and a new sense of vigor took over.

Link and the Sheikah rode north through the canyon towards the temple, but Yiga soldiers were waiting, anticipating their arrival. They sprung from the nooks and crevices of the rocky canyon, spooking the galloping horses and knocking riders to the ground. But the Sheikah soldiers were as quick as their enemies, and battle erupted instantly. The ground shook with each attack from the blade masters, and the Sheikah soldiers defenses caused rubble to break off the walls of the canyon.

Link twisted his fingers in his horse's mane in hopes of not being thrown to the ground as the steed reared in panic. He reached for the only blade he had, but before he could pull it out, a hard force knocked him off his mount and onto the ground. He rolled over quickly just as a Yiga soldier pounced on top of him, pinning his arms and legs to the ground and knocking the blade from his hand. Link struggled against the soldier, his fingers grasping desperately at the blade just out of his reach. The Yiga soldier raised his own blade, a wicked grin of pleasure splitting his face, but Link ignored him, still grasping at any means of escape. His gaze narrowed on the blade, as if to will it to his hand, but with no such success.

A wave of defeat washed over him in that moment, and he grit his teeth together in regret. No sooner did his hand drop to the ground, a blinding light shot through the sky. Just as quickly as it came, the light subsided, and the Yiga soldier dropped lifeless to the ground. Link lay motionless on the ground for a moment, his eyes on the Yiga as another light shot across the sky, seemingly just above him. His eyes darted around the the canyon as Yiga soldiers dropped with each blinding light.

He pushed himself off the ground, grabbing the blade beside him, and spun on his heels as another light shot passed him. He followed the light as it pierced another Yiga soldier, who fell along side his comrades, an arrow jutting out of his chest. Link's eyes traced the path of the arrow to its source where Zelda stood confidently with bow in hand. Paya was at her side, her arm outstretched as the Yiga soldiers turned their attacks towards them. In one swift attack, she brushed the oncoming soldiers aside with her hand. They flew through the air, crashing against the inner walls of the canyon where they fell to the ground lifeless.

The sounds of battle were silenced. Link looked around at the lifeless Yiga Clan soldiers scattered around them. They had defeated the first wave, but there were surely more waiting for them at the Forgotten Temple. He turned towards Zelda and Paya once more, relief washing through him and making his knees seem suddenly weak. He met Zelda's gaze, his mouth open to speak, but he could not find the words.

Zelda's arms dropped to her side, the glowing, golden bow disappearing into her palm. She stepped forward with hesitance, the corner of her lips turning down as she averted her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I tried to get the sword, Link. I... I couldn't..."

Zelda was so overwhelmed at her own failure, she hadn't even notice his approach until she was pulled into his arms. She immediately relaxed into him and sighed, still muttering an apology to him.

Link laughed lightly and pressed his face against her hair, but Zelda pushed away from him, her eyes narrowed onto him.

"Are you insane? This isn't funny."

Link shook his head, trying to wipe the grin off of his face. She was right; it was far from a funny situation. And yet, all he could do was laugh, too relieved and overjoyed at seeing her alive to do much of anything else.

"We'll get it," he finally said after regaining his composure, his hands still on her, unwilling to let her go.

"How?" Zelda asked, feeling defeated. "We'll never get to the Forgotten Temple in time. The Yiga Clan will continue to attack us."

"We don't need to," Link said, looking out to the horizon. "We'll destroy it before they get a chance to do anything."

"You are insane," Zelda muttered. "Impa will have your head if you do that."

"She already has plans to kill me once she seems me again," Link muttered.

"Grandmother would never," Paya spoke softly, pulling her gaze away from the bodies around them. She met Link's gaze and he grinned at her.

"Come on," he muttered, pulling at Zelda's arm. They ran towards the horses, where the Sheikah soldiers waited.

"What's your plan?" Zelda barked at Link.

"The Divine Beasts," Link said. "With their power, they can blast away the temple and seal it once and for all."

"That is a sacred temple," Zelda hissed. "You cannot destroy it."

Link turned to Zelda, a brow raised, reins now in hand. "Do you have a better plan?"

Zelda pinched her lips together. She didn't, in fact, have a plan at all, but she wasn't about to let Link destroy something so sacred.

Link, however, did not wait for an answer. He climbed into the saddle, pulling Zelda up behind him, then turned to Paya. "Can you get to Teba?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "Tell him it's now or never."


End file.
